Damocles
by Cori Shadowfang
Summary: "At seventeen, Sora believed he'd seen most of what the worlds had to offer. At twenty-seven, he realized how wrong he'd been." In which Sora accidentally passes the Keyblade on to Shirou.
1. Sparks

_So I said I wasn't going to write any long stories for a while. That lasted…longer than I thought, but still not as long as it probably should have. Oh, well. You know how people say that stress drives them to drink? Apparently it drives me to write._

 _Anyway, some notes on the upcoming story: I should be updating this weekly. It's never been an issue for me before, but I will warn that, at the time of writing this, I'm a college senior, so I might end up swamped with school work at some point. If that happens, though, I_ will _let you know, and get the update out as soon as possible._

 _-_ **bolded word** _in the course of the story=time/perspective shift_

 _And I think that's it. Without further ado, on to the story!_

 **Chapter One: Sparks**

At seventeen, Sora believed he'd seen most of what the worlds had to offer. He'd battled Heartless, earned the trust of the world's hearts, stopped a second Keyblade War, and become a Keyblade Master, among other things. The worlds were open to him, still exciting, still wonderful, but not frightening or surprising. He believed he was ready for anything.

At twenty-seven, he realized how wrong he'd been.

The world he dropped into burned. Flames writhed around him, darkness imbued into them. Buildings crumbled and fell. People screamed, trying to run from the flames or pull out family members. The heat made it hard to breathe; the darkness made it hard to move, bringing with it all the oppressive weight of a curse.

Sora could only stare a few moments.

Someone shouted, "Help!"

Sora shook himself from his stupor and hurried towards the voice.

A man pushed against a board, his legs trapped beneath. Tears streamed down his face; flames licked his hands.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Blizaga!"

The spell shot into the flames and melted. The fire withered a moment, then regained momentum.

The man stopped and stared.

Sora knelt beside him. "Come on, let's get—" He stopped when his hands neared the fire. The darkness reached for him, hissing quiet curses. Alarmed, Sora lifted his Keyblade. "Purge!" Light shot in a thin strand from the Kingdom Key. The darkness hissed and split around the light.

Sora lowered his weapon, then paled.

The man's glassy eyes still stared widely, the fire licking his face and lifeless hands.

Sora bowed his head, then stood. _What kind of fire is this?_ He ran through the burning city. "Blizaga!" _It's like Maleficent's, but darker. Did the Heartless cause this? Is the world falling to darkness?_ He checked for the creatures, but none appeared, and Sora was distracted by an injured woman reaching towards him. "Curaga." The green light surrounded the woman.

She smiled, then withered, falling listlessly.

Sora's hand shook. He whipped around. _There's got to be a way to put this out._ He turned his Keyblade to the ground. "Purge." Light bloomed beneath him. The flames writhed and screeched. Sora slowly lifted his Keyblade. A thin stream of darkness seemed to follow, then snapped and returned to the earth.

Sora's grip tightened. He hurried on.

The pattern continued, Sora rushing through wreckage to someone who appeared to be injured and trying to heal them, only for them to collapse and die. He tried dragging individuals from the flames, but they didn't live long enough to escape the fire. So Sora continued, casting Curaga and Blizaga, vainly trying to use Purge to draw the curse from the ground.

Never, in all his time traveling the worlds, had he seen something so resistant to purification.

Sora grit his teeth and closed his eyes, reaching for the world's heart. _Hey. Hey! You know there's a curse eating you, right? What's going on?_

Usually, a world would respond, albeit not in normal, human thoughts—images, impressions, this vague sense of knowledge and experience, and the sense of a slow, determined pulse. This time, however, Sora could barely feel that slow beat, the heart beneath the surface seeming muddled and fuzzy.

 _Does it come from you?_

Something snapped, breaking his concentration.

A kid wobbled through the wreckage.

Sora blinked, then shook himself. "Hey!" He rushed towards him.

The kid stumbled.

"Woah, don't fall."

The boy caught himself on Sora's Keyblade.

Sora knelt and checked him. "Can you hear me?" He turned the boy's face towards him.

Dull amber eyes stared back. Soot fell from his hair and coated his face.

Sora dismissed his Keyblade and hoisted the boy in his arms. "Okay, let's get you out of here." He sprinted through the burned city, rambling, "It's a good thing I found you. Wouldn't want a kid to get stuck in that, right?" He tried not to think about the countless kids who would have likely already died. "It'll be okay, though. We'll get you out and heal you. Just stay with me, okay? You'll be out of this in no time."

A light rain fell when Sora reach the fire's edge. The break between the shadowy flames and safe ground seemed oddly clear-cut.

Sora skidded through the dirt and lay the kid on the ground. He checked his breathing. Vaguely, he could sense the same curse from the fire, wound tightly around the boy's heart. Sora summoned the Kingdom Key. "Curaga." Green light fell around the boy, then faded, but he didn't stir. _I don't have that much magic left. What else can I do?_ He steadied himself. _I guess there is_ that. He placed the tip of his Keyblade against the boy's chest. "Purge."

Light flared beneath the tip and spread across the child's heart.

The boy gasped, jerking.

"It's alright. I just need to loosen this a bit." Sora teased the light upward, a thin string emerging from the child's chest, dragging a dark tail.

The boy wailed.

Sora winced. The light rose a little more. Sora swung his blade to the side, sending light and darkness scattering into the air.

The boy relaxed into unconsciousness, a seeming peace crossing his face.

Sora knelt. The darkness still hovered around his heart, but seemed to no longer choke it. For a brief moment, he wished Riku were there; his friend had more experience with internal darkness than he did. He shook his head. "Well, I guess there have to be doctors on this world, right? Somewhere, anyways." He lifted the boy and carried him around the burning edge.

Large red vehicles had parked themselves some distance away, spraying water into the flames. White vehicles rested nearby, people rushing to and from them, frantically hovering over injured individuals.

Sora took the boy to them.

Someone noticed. They swept the child into the back of a vehicle and placed a mask over his face. "His breathing's stable," someone reported.

Another asked, "Where did you find him?"

"Uh," he hesitated, "near the fire."

The man surveyed him critically. "Perhaps we should see to you, too."

"What, this?" He realized burns had formed along his arms and soot coated his face and clothes. "It's fine."

"No sense in being reckless."

Sora shrugged and sat, clasping his hands between his legs. _I don't think I'll be able to do much more, anyways._ His expression fell. "Do you know what caused the fire?"

The man rubbed something cold onto a burn. "No. Probably some idiot kid."

Sora murmured agreement, his eyes staring into the flames.

The man cleared his throat. "I'm not going to ask why you lied about finding the kid."

Sora jerked.

"But I _will_ say that, if you really did pull him out of the fire, he might be interested in meeting you when he wakes up. Or, at least, you might want to see how he's faring." He moved aside and scribbled something onto a paper. He handed it to Sora. "That's the address."

"Um, thanks." He examined the card.

The man checked Sora again. "Nothing serious. Still, keep an eye on those."

"Right. Thanks." He stood. "I'm Sora, by the way."

The man dipped his head. "Pleasure to meet you." He turned away.

Sora watched the busy doctors and the growing crowd, then walked away, slipping the card into his pocket.

 **-Shirou** remembered screaming and darkness and heat. He remembered stumbling through a broken, burned city, people falling around him, dying alone or in their attempts to save others. He remembered moving past them, forsaking bits of himself that weren't necessary to survive, until he had nothing left. And just before he'd collapsed, a man had found him, and dragged him out of that hell, and removed some of the tightness around his heart.

These were his first memories. That was the place he had been born. Whatever had existed before had died in place of his body.

A voice came from somewhere, unusual, vibrating, more a sensation than a sound: _"A most curious individual."_

Shirou's eyes opened slowly. He stood on a stained-glass platform, surrounded by darkness. The platform glowed a blurry gray. Something seemed to be etched beneath the faint glow, but Shirou couldn't tell what.

 _"But there have been more unlikely candidates."_

Shirou's response came automatically, dull and rehearsed, "Who are you?"

 _"The question is not 'I,' but 'you.'"_

"What?"

 _"O apprentice, take up your weapon."_

A sword materialized in front of him. He jumped, then hesitantly stretched out a hand. The hilt seemed warm, comfortable, familiar.

The glass cracked. Shirou stumbled, then yelped, falling through darkness.

Shirou's eyes snapped open. He squinted, surprised by the sudden light. He sat and rubbed his eyes.

He rested in a hospital room. A monitor stood by his bed, beeping quietly. An IV had been stuck in his arm, and he'd been dressed in a pale-blue hospital gown. Blue and white filled the room, from the walls to the beds. A curtain blocked his left side, but quiet groans came from beyond. Another bed across from him held a child with his arm bandaged.

Shirou carefully inspected himself. He had no bandages, and nothing seemed out of place—only the IV still stuck in his arm.

Footsteps tapped towards him. A doctor appeared, a clipboard cradled in her arms. "You're awake." She checked the monitor, then flashed him a small smile. "How do you feel?"

"Fine."

"Good." She placed a stethoscope against his chest, then against his back and ordered him to take several deep breaths. She attached a small sort of clip to his finger and watched the monitor, then checked his IV. "Everything seems to be in good order. I'd like to keep you here a few days, though, to be safe." She scribbled something on her clipboard.

Shirou frowned. Something seemed strangely out of place.

The doctor asked, "What's your name?"

"Shirou."

A pregnant pause stretched between them. The doctor prompted, "And your last name?"

"Last name?" Shirou hesitated. He searched his memory, then shook his head.

The doctor's lips stretched thin. "Alright. I'll be back to check on your later." She left.

Shirou lay back. His mind swirled with images of hellfire and of a brilliant, stained-glass platform.

* * *

 _Standard short beginning chapter, but hey, Shirou's been chosen. Let's see how long before things start getting interesting._

 _If you have any questions or comments, please leave a review!_


	2. Flames

_So here's the second chapter. Thank you epikphael, animesguardianangel, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 _Edit: Someone pointed out that I made a mistake with Sora being able to read the information on the clipboard, so that's been fixed._

 **Chapter Two: Flames**

The fire became the most talked-about event in the city. Only one man, according to official sources, had survived being directly in the fire, though several children—now orphans—had survived being on the outskirts. Clean-up had begun, and city officials were talking about what to do with the ruined area.

Strangely, for all the talk about the fire, no one seemed to know what started it.

Sora sighed. "You're sure?"

The woman nodded. "Real tragedy, though. All those poor kids. They say they dragged a man out of it. Half-delusional. Poor thing probably lost his family."

"Man?"

"You didn't hear? Think he's in Fuyuki Hospital. Not much damage, really, but they want to make sure. Mind's more messed up than anything. Hasn't responded much to anyone yet."

"Is that where this is?" Sora showed the woman the paper slip.

She squinted. "Yes, yes, this is it."

"Great! What does it say?"

She eyed him.

"I can't read your language."

The woman shook her head and muttered something about 'foreign teachers,' then said, "Keep going down this street and take a left. Fuyuki Hospital is the big building on your right. Can't miss it."

"Great. Thanks." Sora waved and hurried off.

He cupped his chin as he walked. _Should I let Aqua know about this? She'll probably want to have some sort of record._ He discarded the idea. _If I can take care of it before-hand, great. It'll be in my report, anyways._

The part that bothered him, though, was that he still couldn't communicate with the world. He'd tried to reach it for the past few nights while sitting in the Gummi ship, and had only received vague, blurry impressions, and the faint sense that something was withdrawing from him. Stranger still was that, despite the dark fire and the Keyblade, there hadn't been any sign of the Heartless. _Not that that's a bad thing. But still. It's weird._

He reached the hospital. A spacious area rested behind the double glass doors, white walls and tile floor, a few potted plants cluttering the space. A waiting room sat walled to one side, blue plastic chairs just visible through a small doorway. Hospital personnel hurried about the other side, leaving and entering through a long hallway or appearing from an elevator. Two individuals spoke near a small doorway, one guarding an elderly man in a wheelchair. A woman sat behind a counter, hunched, scribbling something then typing.

Sora approached the woman. "Hello. My name's Sora. I'm looking for someone."

The woman glanced up from her work. "Patient's name?"

"I, um, don't know. He's the guy they pulled from the fire."

"He's not allowed to have visitors at the moment."

"Um." _I've got to talk to him somehow._ He realized he still held the paper. He passed it to the woman. "I'm also looking for a kid. I don't know his name, either, but I found him, ah, near the edge of the fire. The guy who gave me this said he might want to meet me."

The woman studied the handwriting, then sighed and rubbed her eyes. "He's one of the orphans, then?"

"Yeah."

"I'll need you to fill out some papers, then I can send you up. They'll be released from the hospital later today."

"Really?"

"Yes. The priest of Fuyuki Church has graciously offered to take care of them until they can be adopted." The woman passed him a clipboard and pen.

"Um, I can't read you language."

The woman sighed, then guided him through the paper. Sora answered truthfully what he could, fudged the rest, and passed the clipboard back to the woman.

She took it and narrowed her eyes. Several minutes passed, during which the woman checked her computer and slowly processed the words. Finally she sighed and pushed the clipboard aside. "They're on the second floor. Take a right directly when you leave the elevator. It'll be the last door at the end of the hall."

"Right. Thanks." Sora smiled and left.

He took the elevator, but didn't go directly down the hall. He peered into rooms, attempting to casually look away when doctors or nurses noticed. _I don't even know what this guy looks like._ He hesitated. _But if he was in the fire, then—_

A cough caught his attention.

He jumped, then scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly.

The nurse watched him sternly. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah. I'm, uh, looking for the orphans from the fire. I was told to come up here—"

"Down the hall. Last door."

"G-got it." Sora walked down the hallway.

The nurse kept her gaze fixed on him.

 _Might as well see how the kid's doing, I guess._ He entered the room.

Beds lined the walls, separated by curtains. Children lay on them, most in decent condition, IV's still attached to their arms. Some chatted; most remained quiet.

Sora moved past them, looking quizzically from bed to bed. He stopped at the last bed on his right. "Oh. You're him, right?"

The red-head looked up, amber eyes quizzical. "Him?"

"The kid I pulled out of the fire." Sora grinned and waved. "Sorry, you probably wouldn't remember me. I'm Sora."

"Sora?" The kid stared, his eyebrows furrowed.

Sora laughed. "Hey, don't look so serious. My name's not _that_ weird." Then he recalled that the kid was an orphan now, and his expression softened. "What's your name?"

"Shirou."

"How are you—"

"The nurses said someone found me at the edge of the fire."

"Oh. Ah, right, they did."

"But they lied." Shirou fixed him with clear amber eyes.

Sora stiffened. He sensed faint darkness, still clogging the boy's heart. He swallowed.

Shirou asked, "You're really the one who pulled me out?"

Sora nodded. "You remember?"

"Not much." His expression fell, and he brought his knees to his chest. More quietly he said, "I have nightmares."

"I see." Sora pursed his lips. "Yeah. I was the one who got you out."

Shirou nodded.

They sat in silence a few moments. Sora rubbed the back of his neck. "You're going to stay with the priest, right?"

"I guess. The doctors said so."

"Well, I'll be sticking around for a few more days. Maybe I'll come and visit." He smiled.

The kid blinked, his expression unreadable.

 _I've still got to find that guy._ Sora stood. "About the nightmares—they don't really go away. But they get better."

Shirou started.

Sora left. He heaved a heavy sigh.

A voice croaked, "You." Through a doorway lay a man. Bandages covered his arms and neck. Sweat slicked his black hair. Dull, dark gray eyes watched him. "You were there."

"There?"

"The fire."

Sora hurried into the room. "Are you the guy they found? Do you know what caused it? The fire, I mean."

The man's gaze seemed unfocused. "I saw you. You got out." Something like relief tinged his voice.

"Um, yeah."

"You found someone, didn't you? Did you save them?"

"Yeah. He's in the next room. He's fine."

"Good." The man relaxed slightly. The cloying darkness around his heart seemed repulsed by a faint, healing light. Sorrow and regret radiated from him.

Sora whispered, "You've gone through a lot, haven't you?" He shook himself. "But the fire. Do you know the cause?"

The man's eyes closed.

Sora sighed. _I guess that's a dead end._ He glanced around again. _Aqua's going to kill me if she ever finds out about this._ He summoned his Keyblade and placed it against the man's heart. "This'll hurt a bit. Purge." Light flowed from the Keyblade's tip into the man's chest.

He gasped and jerked.

Sora swept his Keyblade back quickly, a thick line of light dragging darkness behind it. Both dissipated, and he released his weapon. "There. Maybe you can relax a little now." He turned.

"The Holy Grail."

Sora stopped. "Hmm?"

The man's eyes were still closed. His face had grown pale. "The Holy Grail. It started the fire."

 _Holy Grail?_ "Got it. Thanks." Sora left. _Well, at least I have an idea. So who do I talk to about this 'Holy Grail' thing?_

He stepped onto the sidewalk.

The world rocked. A quiet, almost indistinguishable voice hissed, _…don't belong…_ Both sensations ended in an instant.

Sora steadied himself. _What was that?_

No one else seemed to have noticed; they moved, talking to each other or absorbed in their own business, entering and exiting buildings, walking dogs, racing to work.

Sora frowned. _I think the sooner I find out more about this, the better._ He hurried down the street.

 **-Shirou** stood with the other orphans.

A doctor gestured the man beside her. "This is Kirei Kotomine. He'll be taking care of you for the time being."

The man looked almost normal: short brown hair, formal attire, a cross hanging around his neck. The only things out of place were the dull, lifeless eyes and the small, odd smile he wore.

Shirou couldn't place why, but he felt uneasy.

Kotomine asked, "Shall we get going?"

Several cars waited for them, some operated by hospital staff, others by volunteers. Shirou tried to stay as far away from the priest as possible, entering a vehicle with a cheerful looking woman in the driver's seat. A few others crowded beside him.

Kotomine spoke with the doctor. He nodded, then turned and left.

Car engines revved. The world outside moved, the hospital slowly disappearing, buildings and people passing them by.

Shirou pressed his head against the window. _What now?_ The question had been bouncing aimlessly through his mind for a while now. He'd been saved from the fire by that man, Sora—but where did that get him?

The image of the man's weapon appeared in his mind.

He closed his eyes. His hand clenched.

He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until someone shook him awake. "We're here."

Shirou rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the car.

A church loomed above them, white-washed, its spire scraping the sky. A statue of the Virgin Mary rested in the entryway. Stained glass windows shimmered in the sunlight, reminding Shirou of his dream. Hedges lined the path.

Kotomine said, "Thank you for your assistance. I can take care of them from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

"Alright. If you need any help, please call us! We can get food or water, or just take care of the kids—"

"I'm sure it won't be necessary."

The woman faltered, a lopsided smile plastered on her lips, then dipped her head. The cars drove away, until the children and Kotomine were left alone.

"Well," Kotomine said, "we should get you settled." He turned. "Come."

Shirou followed in the small mob. They entered the chapel, the pews flaring golden in the sunlight, dust motes glittering like sparks.

Kotomine said, "You may rest here for the moment. I have one more thing I must do to prepare your living arrangements." The priest left.

The children milled about, shifting, looking around.

Someone sniffed. Quiet sobs escaped a small, black-haired girl.

"Hey," another girl said, "don't cry."

The first girl shook her head. "I miss my mommy."

Someone else started crying. Some kids huddled together; others sat in the pews or crouched on the floor, wearing looks of regret or sadness or fear or anger or emptiness.

Shirou remained standing. The church's atmosphere seemed to press on his shoulders, heavy and foreboding despite the light.

Kotomine returned. "Everything should be in order." He gestured, and the children followed without protest, leaving the chapel and passing through the courtyard.

Shirou shivered. Something tingled down his spine and made the hairs rise on his neck. It felt for a moment like he was floundering under water. _Why isn't anyone saying anything?_ He studied their faces. _Don't they feel it?_

They left the courtyard, and the tension lessened, though didn't entirely disappear. Kotomine lead them to a small playroom. "For the time being, you will remain here. I have prepared beds for each of you." Blankets lay stretched along the walls. The children each claimed one. "I will move you to more appropriate accommodations once everything settles down." The same dark aura radiated from him, and he seemed to put particular stress on the word 'appropriate.' He gave a smile that was probably supposed to be comforting, but came across as mirthless and frightening.

Shirou tensed. For a moment flames surrounded him, and his vision tunneled, until Kotomine was the only thing he could see.

The man left.

Shirou remained standing. While the other children milled about, he stared absently at his hands. _This feels wrong._ His vision flickered, and he winced. The image of a strange weapon—similar to Sora's, but different—flashed through his mind, and momentarily seemed to appear in his hand. His head ached.

A voice whispered, _Soon._

The image disappeared, and Shirou held his head and wondered why the world shifted around him.

Peoplestopped to see the orphans over the course of the next two days. They cooed over them, and offered Kotomine assistance, but the priest brushed them off. A reporter came at one point, snapping pictures and making the children shift awkwardly. Kotomine took two children away at one point, and when they didn't return, the other orphans assumed they'd been adopted.

The children quickly formed a sort of pack. They huddled together whenever strangers appeared, talked together, ate together. An unspoken alliance connected them with an almost hive-mind mentality, so no one bothered to question if two of their number being adopted was true or not.

Shirou decided maybe they should have.

Kotomine approached them, a sinister smile on his face. "I believe that that will be the last of the visitors, for the time being. Some have brought to my attention that this may not be suitable for such a large group of children. As such, I have prepared more appropriate accommodations."

The children glanced at each other uneasily.

"Follow me."

The group obeyed, some holding hands, some quietly holding back before hurrying to catch up with their friends.

They entered the courtyard, and the strange, heavy feeling returned. Something screamed at Shirou to stop, to run away as far as he could.

"Ah, here we are." Kotomine stopped at a gap in the wall, hidden by shadows.

The children pressed close to each other. One ventured, "We have to go down there?"

Another whimpered and clutched the arm of someone close to her.

"I assure you, it's perfectly safe." He gestured. "I will be right behind you."

For a moment everyone remained still. A young girl with close-cut hair moved first, then a boy. The children hesitantly filtered into the gap. One stumbled, and was caught by her friend. Another looked hesitantly at Kotomine, who smiled an uncomfortable smile that caused the boy to hurry forward.

Shirou remained rooted. His heartbeat thudded in his ears. His breathing faltered. Something inside him screamed, _Don't go._

"What's the matter?" Kotomine asked. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Suddenly Shirou realized he was alone with the priest.

Kotomine took a step towards him and extended a hand. "Come now. I'll be with you the entire way."

Shirou stepped back.

Kotomine frowned.

Shirou asked, "What's down there?"

"Nothing but an old temple and your companions. Wouldn't you prefer to be with them right now?"

Shirou swallowed and shook his head.

"Oh? How unfortunate. I suppose we might be able to return you to your former accommodations, for the time being."

Shirou's eyes shifted past the priest. Something moved in the darkness, wavering in the doorway, and briefly the image shifted to fire, broken buildings, and a brown-haired man with a strange, key-like sword.

Kotomine moved towards him.

Shirou stumbled backwards, his arm swiping across his body. "Stay back!"

Light flashed. It settled into Shirou's hand, streaking behind it. It dissipated abruptly, revealing a glowing weapon. The blade resembled a silver tumbler key. Three inter-locking gears were arranged on the guard. A black leather hilt rested in Shirou's hand; a large, bronze piece of metal arced above it, a broken piece spiking below it. A chain dangled from the end, a small sword attatched.

Shirou stared. After a moment he realized the priest was just as surprised, and had stopped moving. So he ran, leaving the courtyard and the chapel and cutting through the hedge, dragging his newfound weapon behind him.

 **-Kotomine** recovered from his shock. "Did you see that, King of Heroes?"

"Yes." The blond-haired man stepped from the shadows, red eyes glittering. "The boy has a weapon not in my collection." He glanced at Kotomine. "Are you not concerned? The child may prove to be an annoyance."

"He believes he sensed something wrong, but has no proof. Who would believe him?"

Gilgamesh smiled. "You are truly an interesting individual, Kirei." His expression suddenly grew serious. "But there is something wrong. That is not a weapon that belongs in this world."

"Hmm?"

"Well, no matter. I am sure we will see the boy again." He turned and descended into darkness.

* * *

 _That's it for the second chapter. I admittedly had trouble deciding exactly what to do with the ending, so please let me know how I did! Review responses:_

 **epikphael:** I don't know if "blame" would really be the right word in this instance, but yeah, Sora does kind of cause problems.

 **animesguardianangel:** Thanks! Hopefully this chapter lived up to expectations.

 **ultima-owner:** Possibly.

 _So, if there's anything you didn't like, let me know. If there's anything you did, let me know as well. I'd appreciate it!_


	3. Burn

_And here's chapter three. Thank you Gold2King, DPSS, Great fan-M, michelous, animesguardianangel, ultima-owner, MIoismoe, Shirosaki Kizuro, Gashadokuro Amanojaku, and blackfirekingkoncor for reviewing last chapter! Also, early Merry Christmas, everyone, and I hope you enjoy your holidays!_

 **Chapter Three: Burn**

Sora—after about a day of searching and asking questions—eventually managed to track down an audiobook about old legends, including the Holy Grail. He exchanged his munny for the local currency and bought the book, a CD player, and a set of headphones, then returned to the Gummi ship. He placed the disk in the player and closed the lid. A quiet buzz hummed through the headphones. A voice began:

 _"There are many legends that populate our world. From the magical to the strange…"_

Sora listened, his mind drifting as the audiobook slogged through its content. He'd nearly dozed off when the words 'Holy Grail' roused him.

 _"The Holy Grail is a legendary cup from Arthurian literature. What the Grail is depends on the legend, but many posit it either as the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, or one that caught his blood. It is said to provide eternal happiness and youth, and will only appear to the pure in heart. The knights of the Round Table, after seeing it, went on a quest to obtain it. Only Galahad ever found it again."_

The tape continued with more about Arthurian legends, leaving the Holy Grail behind.

Sora paused the book. _That doesn't sound like something that would cause a fire._ He removed the headphones. _Maybe that guy was wrong. He_ was _pretty shaken up._ He gnawed his lip. _I'll stay a few more days. If I can't find anything else out by then, I guess I'll just let Aqua know. Maybe she or Lea could come check it out._ He set the CD player aside.

 **-Shirou** ran blindly. He stopped, chest heaving, and glanced behind him, his mind a cacophony of disoriented thoughts and feelings.

Someone said something.

He jumped, realized he was surrounded by people and still carrying the strange weapon, and hurried into an alley. He ducked behind a dumpster.

His hands shook. He lifted the weapon. It glimmered in the sunlight. An image of Sora's blade flashed through his mind. A word buzzed through his ears and impressed into his mind like a fiery brand. "Vir."

The weapon glowed, briefly.

Shirou tossed it, still shaking. It clanged against the wall, then disappeared into light.

Shirou sat, back pressed against the wall, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. His thoughts slowly reoriented themselves. He'd run away—he'd left individuals behind again and saved himself. A part of him rationalized that he couldn't have done anything, not even with that strange blade, and his body had acted on instinct, and a slow, numb chill crept through his heart.

 _So now I really am the only one._

He told himself he didn't know for sure what Kotomine was doing.

 _No. That's wrong._ He winced, his head aching. _Was it alright that I saved myself? How can I—_

He let the thought trail away. He remained there a few moments, unsure where to go or what to do.

Sora's weapon flashed through his mind again.

Something inside him turned to steel. He stood and hurried away.

 **-"Okay,"** Sora implored, "there's _really_ nothing weird about the legend of the Holy Grail? Like, nothing that would cause mass destruction?"

"No," growled the librarian, "and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop pestering me."

"Alright. Sorry."

The man sighed and pushed his book aside. "If you're _really_ that interested in the legend, then you can check in the back. There are mythology books there."

"I can't read your language."

The man gave him a dark look. "What language _can_ you read, then?"

"Uh." Unsure of what language would be the equivalent in this world, he shrugged.

The man rubbed his temples. "Just go. Ask a priest or Arthurian scholar. They might know better."

"Thanks!" Sora left.

People passed outside. Sora thought, _Well, I suppose I could go check the church, or something. That's where the orphans are staying anyways, right? Just have to get directions._

 **-The** problem with finding Sora, Shirou realized, was that he had no idea where to start looking. He asked people he passed if they'd seen a man with spikey brown hair and strange clothes. Most answered 'no;' the few who answered 'yes' didn't know where he could be.

That's how Shirou eventually found himself back at the church.

His hands shook. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. He crept inside.

The chapel seemed the same as when he'd left—oddly light despite the uneasy feeling permeating it. Shirou's footsteps seemed too loud, and he stopped, hesitating, then continued on tiptoe.

Something whispered through his ears.

Shirou jumped. He bent low, eyes searching, and whispered, "Who's there?" His voice still seemed too loud.

Nothing answered. The multi-colored light, altered by familiar stained-glass windows, swirled and dappled the silent church.

A door creaked open.

Shirou dove behind a pew. He crawled underneath.

Footsteps moved down the aisle.

 **-Sora** hadn't expected dark aura weaving through the church's golden interior. He frowned. The building seemed oddly quiet. "Hello?" His voice echoed loudly. "Is anyone here?" He stopped at the altar.

Something quiet knocked behind him.

He tilted his head.

"I wasn't expecting visitors," a voice rumbled. "Have you come to pray?" A man stood nearby, smiling coolly.

Sora shook his head. "I have some questions about something called the 'Holy Grail.' And I wanted to see one of the orphans."

"I see. I'll be of help, if I can."

Something about the priest seemed wrong. The dark curses Sora sensed from the fire wreathed around this man, and pulsed like a heartbeat. Sora narrowed his eyes warily. "Great. I heard something about the Holy Grail causing the fire last week. Do you know any legends that would relate to that?"

The man's eye twitched; if Sora hadn't been watching so closely, he wouldn't have noticed. "There are none to my knowledge. Moreover, the Holy Grail is merely a legend. It seems absurd to believe it would cause the fire."

"I guess. Fine, then. About the orphans. I'm looking for a red-head named Shirou. I wanted to see how he's doing."

"Ah. Well, unfortunately, the boy's run off. I have alerted the police, but who knows if they'll find him?" The man seemed grimly amused.

Sora tensed.

"If that is all?"

"Yeah. If you don't mind, I'm going to stay here a bit longer."

The two locked eyes. Both remained rigid for several moments.

The priest inclined his head. "Very well." He turned and left.

Sora relaxed marginally. _A Holy House should be inclined towards light, not darkness. And a priest with curses for a heart? Something's wrong here. I wonder if Shirou ran away because he sensed that?_ He closed his eyes. The darkness seemed to stream from an area deeper inside the church.

A voice whispered, "Sora?"

"Hmm?"

Shirou emerged from beneath a pew.

Sora glanced where the priest had left, then knelt. "I thought you ran away?"

"I did. I was looking for you. I came back when I couldn't find you." Shirou met his gaze. "There's something wrong. Kotomine took the other orphans into a place that felt like the fire."

Sora's hair stood on end. "Yeah, I felt it. Can you show me where?"

Shirou nodded and lead the way from the chapel to the courtyard. The darkness seemed heavy, almost tangible. They stopped at an area shrouded in shadow. A passageway, nearly obscured, yawned in the wall, stairs descending. Shirou stood and stared blankly down the steps.

Sora touched his shoulder. "You go back. I'll check things out. Once I fix whatever's going on, we can get everything sorted out. Okay?"

Shirou shook his head.

"You sure? It might not be safe down there."

Shirou nodded, something flickering in his eyes.

Sora hesitated. "Alright. But stay close to me. If things look bad, get out of there." Sora moved, wading through the darkness.

Shirou followed.

They reached the bottom step before long. A large chapel stretched before them, seemingly abandoned, an alter at the far end. A faint blue light covered the room. "There's nothing down here." His voice, despite the whisper, broke the overbearing silence. He moved. "What would a place like this be here for?" He rubbed a wall.

"But—where is everyone?"

"I don't know." Sora frowned. "I can still feel darkness in here, but where?"

They searched the temple. Sora traced his hands along the walls, pressing bricks, cautiously rapping a fist on some.

"Hey," Shirou called, "there's a door under the stairs."

Sora hurried towards him. He put a hand to the door. The air stuck to his hand and oozed through his fingers. "This might be it. Listen. See if you can hear anything."

Shirou frowned. He put his ear to the door, jerked away, then hesitantly returned it.

Both listened.

A quiet moan, barely audible, came through the door.

"That's them!"

"Right." Sora turned. "I'm going to have you stay out here for now, alright? Don't come in unless I call for you."

"But—"

"I'm just making sure everything's safe first. Alright? Then you can come and help your friends."

Shirou eyed him dubiously, but nodded. His shaking fists betrayed his fear.

Sora opened the door. The passage inside swam, a cold, damp, sticky murk running along Sora's arms and back. Sora blinked, the blackness pressing his eyes, and made his way forward.

The groan sounded again.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Fire." A fireball shot through the stone chamber, briefly illuminating the pale, drawn faces of children, resting in coffin-like beds. Sora rushed and knelt beside one. "Hey." He reached for the child, but recoiled. Something attracted his hand, reaching hungrily for energy. Sora backpedaled.

"Sora?"

"Stay out there." He studied the coffin. _What makes it work? Is it magic?_ He worried his lip. _If there's anything locking them in there, then the Keyblade can break them out._ He stood back and lifted the Kingdom Key. He aimed the tip at the coffin.

A faint shape etched into the air.

Light formed at the Keyblade's tip and shot into the keyhole. The room illuminated briefly. Something clicked. The keyhole disappeared.

The child gasped and shot upright.

Sora hurried to him. "Easy."

The boy gripped his sleeves. "I-it hurts, a-and the priest brought me here, a-a-and—"

Sora pulled him free. "I know. But you're okay now. And we're going to get the others out, too. Go wait outside."

Footsteps pounded into the room. Shirou shouted, "Sora, look out!"

Sora whipped around, Keyblade swinging on reflex.

Two knives clattered off the blade, flying to hidden parts of the room.

Shirou lay in the shadows just inside the door. He scrambled to his feet and hurried to Sora's side.

"You really shouldn't have wandered. After all, you might find things you're not supposed to." The priest appeared, smirking

Sora guarded the two children. "What are you doing to these kids?"

"Why, helping a friend. Unfortunately, he's gone out for a while. But no matter." He threw two more knives.

Sora deflected them.

"I'm sure I'm more than capable of handling you." Killing intent radiated from him.

"Get close!" Sora raised the Keyblade.

The man shot forward.

"Aeroga!" Green air stirred.

The priest nearly reached them when the spell fired, sending him flying.

Sora shouted, "Shirou, you and your friend get out of here!"

"But—"

 _"Go."_

Shirou hesitated, then caught the other boy's sleeve and pushed him towards the door.

The priest stood, a knife flinging towards the escaping children.

"Fira!"

The fireball knocked the weapon aside.

Sora moved. His blade swept forward, pressing close to the strange man, Kingdom Key locked with long, claw-like knives.

* * *

 _Debated a little bit on whether I should end it here or after Shirou and Kotomine's fight. Eventually decided here because the fight will likely take a while, and I'd like to give it due attention. Review responses:_

 **Gold2King:** I'll admit I took some liberties with that part. Since Sora didn't have an Avalon to place in Shirou, I used Purge to help heal him, in a sense. On that note, though, Purge can heal more than just a curse. As far as Kiritsugu goes, you'll want to keep an eye out for him.

 **DPSS:** Sorry I didn't do a good job at explaining that. Think a slightly altered version of the Kingdom Key's guard—it frames the handle like that, but is more hexagonal in shape, and one side looks like some broke a part off. As for Shirou's reaction, my rational for that was that this is a version of Shirou who not only just escaped the fire, but is faced with the feeling that he's going to be thrown back into it. (And at this point, I'm not really sure if the survivor's guilt has set in, and he didn't have Kiritsugu to idolize—or any parent, really, since he hasn't interacted with Sora much yet.) Still, I definitely could have handled it better, so hopefully in this chapter he seems a little more 'Shirou-like'…or at least 'young Shirou-like.' The answer to your first question will be apparent…very soon, if you haven't already figured it out. The other…you'll see~

 **Great fan-M:** Thanks! Other Kingdom Hearts characters will definitely be appearing, though they'll probably be introduced pretty gradually. As for the Holy Grail War, this is basically right at the end of the Fourth, so they won't be dealing with the Fifth until later in the story. As for the Keyblade summoning, I feel like Sora's an odd case, since he was never trained (like traditional Keyblade apprentices), he never really had a need to summon it before, and he technically wasn't 'chosen' at the beginning of KH1—he could wield a Keyblade because Ven's heart was inside him, and because Riku fell to darkness. Ven was, at the oldest, eleven when he first summoned his Keyblade, and I'm banking on the head-canon that Keyblade apprentices generally first summon their Keyblades at a young age. So that, combined with Shirou really kind of needing a weapon at that moment, sparked the summoning. And haha, I guess this chapter answered your last question.

 **michelous:** Thanks!

 **animesguardianangel:** I don't know if 'racist' is the right word, but there are certainly…issues. Some pretty validated, some more due to pride. I hope this chapter lived up to expectations!

 **ultima-owner:** Not sure if you're talking about Sora or Shirou, but yeah, both of them seem pretty attuned to that. Sora's kind of been training for it. Shirou's ability to notice I'm largely basing on how he reacted in the Fate route when he first discovered the orphans.

 **MIoismoe:** Thanks! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

 **Shirosaki Kizuro:** Thank you, and I hope you liked the chapter!

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku:** Thanks. And, well, he didn't really go very far.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Well, there'll be at least one new Keyblade apprentice, anyways.

 _Any thoughts about the chapter? Leave them in a review and let me know!_


	4. Blaze

_So here's chapter four. (I swear not all of the chapters are going to have fire-themed names.) I hope everyone who celebrated had a great Christmas! Thank you Shirosaki Kizuro, animesguardianangel, blackfirekingkoncor, Gold2King, Kamen Rider Ebon, , ultima-owner, Great fan-M, Kiri Kaitou Clover, and KadoyaOkami for reviewing last chapter!_

 _Edit: I completely forgot that 'magic' and 'magecraft' were different concepts in the Nasuverse. This has been fixed._

 _Edit 2: For anyone who feels that the power levels aren't balanced correctly in the fight this chapter, please read the guest review in chapter 32 before reviewing. If you want to have an extended discussion on the reasoning for my choices, etc., I'd prefer you send a PM rather than a review, largely because it's easier to hold long discussions through PMs. Thanks in advance!_

 **Chapter Four: Blaze**

Shirou dragged the boy behind him and burst from the stairs. He stumbled into sunlight, scrunched his eyes, and fell, dirt kicked up around his nose, his cheek and hands scraped.

The other boy helped him up. "What do we do now?"

Shirou rubbed his cheek. "Um. We call the police."

"But where's a phone?"

"I don't know. We'll find one."

Shirou led the search. The church, they discovered, was quite large, and easy to get lost in. The building tremored, and Shirou braced himself. A quiet voice asked, _Will they get here in time?_

"Hey," the other child called, "I found one!"

Shirou rushed to him.

The boy fumbled the phone free and punched a number, cradling the device near his ear. "H-hello, this is the police, right? Um, the priest took us down to the basement, and locked us up and did something weird to us, but then this guy with a magic key came and—huh? N-no, I'm not making it up!"

Shirou looked to his hand. The strange weapon he'd summoned when he'd fled briefly filled his vision.

 _It's not enough. Calling the police isn't enough._

"Hey, what do you—"

The fire flashed through his mind, and the room momentarily contorted, dark flames licking the walls and people screaming and falling around him. _They won't make it in time._

The boy slammed the phone back on the receiver. "She hung up."

Sora's face wavered in front of him. _There's more that I can do._ He clenched his fist and turned.

"H-hey! Where are you going?"

"To help Sora."

"Wait!" The boy caught his arm. "Are you crazy? You'll get put in one of those coffin things. Let the magic guy fight him."

Shirou stared.

"Don't look at me like that. It's creepy."

"Go to the chapel and wait for the police." Shirou tugged his arm free. "I can do something. I _need_ to do something. He saved me. I owe him." He turned and ran before the boy could argue further.

He hesitated at the deep shadows in the wall. The same feeling surrounded him, memories of the fire and of a whole in the sky pouring curses and burning all that he was. For a moment, he questioned going down.

He inhaled sharply, shook his head, and edged down the steps. A part urged him to hurry; his body resisted, taking the steps slowly in resistance to the overwhelming feeling of being consumed. The stairway took longer than he'd remembered, his eyes blind, the cavern's faint blue glow fading into view. He touched foot on the floor and peered around the stairs.

Sora and Kotomine battled inside the catacombs, weapons flashing, moving quicker than Shirou thought possible.

He pulled away. _He's right. If I go in there, I'll be killed._ He extended a shaking hand. _I need_ that _weapon. 'Vir.'_ Nothing appeared. He tried slashing his hand across his body, then a few more times. Nothing.

He looked back.

Kotomine had caught Sora's weapon and thrown him.

Without thinking, Shirou moved.

 **-Sora** pressed, the Keyblade shaking.

The priest leapt backwards, flinging two knives.

"Aeroga!" The wind whipped around Sora, diverting the weapons and stirring the man's robes.

Sora settled into a fighting stance and quickly checked his magic. _I'll have to be careful. I might need magic to heal, so I don't want to risk using too much to attack. Although—_

The priest dismissed his weapons and settled into a stance of his own, fists raised.

Sora raised an eyebrow.

The man kicked off, traveling across the ground.

Sora rolled, barely dodging the punch towards his head. He regained his footing and swept the Kingdom Key in a quick upward arc.

His opponent blocked, twisting his arm to grip the Keyblade's edge.

Sora dismissed and re-summoned his weapon, then stabbed.

The man parried, the Keyblade sliding left, and his arm swept along the blade towards Sora.

Sora twisted the Kingdom Key, dragging the teeth backwards, and lunged sideways.

The priest spun away, dodging and leaving the two warriors eyeing each other.

 _He wasn't cut. Even when the Keyblade manifested a bladed edge, it didn't draw blood. What's going on with that?_ Sora inhaled deeply and released. He made the first move this time, feinting on the left. When the man moved both arms—to simultaneously push Sora's blade away and strike his chest, he presumed—he dipped the Kingdom Key beneath, circling over, arching his back to avoid his opponent's attack.

The priest ducked, sliding sideways and backwards, then lunged, his fist striking.

Sora parried at the last minute, diverting the man's arm, then placed his blade horizontally and pressed, swiping rapidly upwards.

The priest kicked, making Sora stumble, and then punched, quicker than Sora could react, and hit beneath his ribcage.

Sora gasped, lifted into the air, unable to breathe.

The man struck again, dislocating Sora's shoulder.

Sora grimaced. "Aero." The wind blocked the priest's second strike and forced them apart. Sora inhaled deeply and popped the shoulder back in place. He tried rotating it, wincing. _I need to put some distance between us._

The man moved, starting with a punch, then an elbow strike.

Sora parried both, then fainted an overhead strike. When the man moved to block, Sora swept his blade toward the man's side, then kicked the priest's legs, unbalancing him. Sora stabbed. "Purge."

The man gasped, light flying from the Keyblade into his heart. He fell, and flung a knife, almost hidden, as he landed.

Sora stumbled backwards, the light stream broken, the weapon grazing his cheek. He winced, his shoulder still aching, and jumped away. "Salvation." Light glowed around him, illuminating the room, casting sickly highlights over the unconscious children.

The priest recovered, clutching his chest.

The attack finished charging and launched. Light filled the room and surrounded Sora. The pain in his shoulder faded.

The priest lifted his arms and braced himself. The light hit him; he withstood it a few moments, then went flying, skidding across the ground.

The light faded. Sora exhaled. _About half my magic's still left. Purge seemed to do the most. I could do that twice more, tops. More likely, I'll only get one. And I don't want to use too many wide-spanning attacks. The coffins are pretty sturdy, but I don't want to risk the chance that the children will get hurt from my attack._ He raced across the chamber.

The priest stood, slowly, shakily. He tossed two knives, which Sora deflected. The man spread three knives between his knuckles. The blades suddenly expanded, creating a shield and blocking Sora's strike. The weapons disappeared, and the man stabbed, three new knives in his left hand.

Sora backpedaled, avoiding the stab, and parried when the man struck again. They exchanged blows, the priest slashing, Sora blocking. He kept up until his opponent pulled three more and added his right hand. The Keyblade flew, parrying across and up, down and to the side. The clash of metal on metal filled the chamber, weapons drawing sparks. Sora grimaced, then dropped.

The priest kicked.

Sora rolled and regained his footing, charging from behind.

The man threw two knives, forcing Sora to parry.

"Fire." The fireball set the priest's clothes ablaze.

His opponent grimaced, but quickly quenched the flame and blocked Sora's incoming stab.

The Keyblade dipped into a double-feint.

The priest blocked, one hand stretching far to the side to push away the Kingdom Key, the other catching Sora's left arm and swinging it opposite. His knee swept upward.

Sora arched his back, then dismissed his Keyblade and latched onto his opponent's arms, jumping and kicking. He winced when his blow connected. His legs quivered. _Is his body actually metal or something?_

The man hardly seemed to notice, twisting Sora so his back faced away. Pain rocketed through Sora's back, and he gasped, "Curaga!" Whatever damage had been done disappeared, and he summoned his Keyblade in a reverse grip, catching the man's wrist in the teeth. The pressure on his arms loosened, and he jerked free, turning and sweeping back, attacking with his standard three-strike combo.

The priest retreated, ducking and dodging the blows.

Sora transitioned into a quick stab, dragged the weapon upward, then dismissed the blade when his opponent dodged, sweeping closer and re-summoning it, the blade nearly to the man's chest.

A smirk crossed the priest's face.

Something inside Sora screamed a warning, and instead of finishing his attack he leapt backwards.

Three strange knives stabbed the space where he'd once stood.

 _That would've killed me. I have to be more careful._ He panted, sweat dripping down his neck.

The man tilted his head, still smirking, knives dangling. "What's the matter? Are you afraid?"

Sora grinned. "Naw. I've faced worse."

"Oh?"

Sora pointed his Keyblade at the man's feet. "Blizzard." Two spells fired in rapid succession.

The man tried to move away, but didn't react quickly enough, and the spell froze his feet. He jerked, the smirk gone. He threw the knives.

Sora dodged and ran. He gripped the Keyblade with both hands and stabbed. "This is it!" He envisioned the tip striking the man's chest and Purge activating.

The blade stopped.

Sora's eyes widened.

The priest had caught the tip, fingers grasping the teeth, arms shaking. Whatever had protected him now seemed gone, blood coating his hands and spattering the ground. The smile returned, not reflected in his empty eyes. "I must say, I'm impressed. I did not expect such magecraft from an outsider."

"Was that what you were using to protect yourself?"

The man snorted. Then he pushed. The ice around his feet cracked.

Sora grimaced. He planted his feet and pushed harder.

The man's feet broke free.

Sora jumped back, pulling his Keyblade away.

The man stumbled, but caught himself, and recovered a fighting position. He and Sora moved simultaneously, the man using palm strikes and deflecting Sora's Keyblade.

Sora beat, knocking the man's arm further aside, then beat the other arm. He retreated when his legs were nearly swept from under him, and continued backwards when the priest struck, dodging attacks from palms and elbows.

The man planted a foot.

 _Crap._

The man lunged. The sudden momentum prevented Sora from dodging, but he blocked on instinct, his Keyblade slashing downwards. He hit the man's left fist, forcing his opponent to alter his position, and blocked the second fist with his left hand. The force made his arm shake.

The man's knee swept up and drove the breath from him. He kicked, sending Sora skidding.

Sora coughed, his Keyblade disappearing, and lifted himself. He rolled, dodging a knife. _How many of them does he have?_ He angled his roll towards his opponent, springing upward and summoning his Keyblade.

The man blocked, then pulled to the side.

Sora turned, swinging.

The man moved from range briefly, then returned, spreading both arms.

Sora retreated, then used a side attack, feinting high and aiming low.

The priest kicked.

Sora dodged, lifting his blade high and following the arc of the man's leg, then slashed.

The priest allowed his momentum to carry him and caught the Keyblade, dragging Sora with him.

Sora released his weapon and skidded backwards.

Someone shouted, "Hey!" A shock of red hair charged them.

Sora exclaimed, "Shirou?"

Blinding light flared around Shirou's hand.

The man turned.

A Keyblade materialized in Shirou's fist. He swung.

Sora jolted, surprised a moment, then took the opening and lunged. While the man remained distracted, Sora stabbed, his Keyblade's tip angled, and connected with the man's back. "Purge!"

The man screamed and writhed. Light bloomed across his back, diluted by squirming, twisting darkness.

Sora dragged his Keyblade outwards, the light trailing a long, dark string.

The man struggled, then glared, eyes bulging and blood-shot. He pulled, then stumbled and fell.

The light snapped. It briefly illuminated the room, casting harsh shadows, then dissipated, the darkness following, whispering while it fled.

The man dragged himself to his feet. He sneered, then left.

Shirou asked, "Should we go after him?"

Sora shook his head. "It's more important we get everyone else free. But then I've got some questions for you."

Shirou nodded.

Sora moved about the room, lifting his Keyblade and pointing it towards each coffin. Keyholes materialized, briefly illuminating the children. They stumbled when they first emerged, looking around frantically, crying. Shirou gathered them near the door.

When Sora finished, he asked Shirou, "Do you know who's the law enforcement here? Who to contact and how?"

Shirou nodded.

"Can you get them for me?"

"They didn't believe us last time, but you can talk to them again."

Shirou guided Sora to a small office. He punched some numbers, then handed over the phone.

The dispatcher said, "Nine-one-one."

"Hello, my name's Sora. There's been an incident at Fuyuki Church. You know, the one with the orphans? The priest had them locked in the basement. He's gone missing, and all the kids are pretty weak right now."

"We got a call from a child earlier talking about a priest and a 'magic key.'"

"Oh, kids have a pretty wild imagination. There really is an issue, but he just, ah, exaggerated a little."

"Alright. We'll send someone over."

"Thanks." Sora hung up. "Now," he turned to Shirou, "how did you summon a Keyblade?"

"That's what it's called?" Shirou frowned. "I thought it was named 'Vir.'"

"That's the name of _your_ weapon." Sora crouched. "Did someone perform the inheritance ceremony with you?"

"Inheritance ceremony?"  
"Someone lets you hold their Keyblade. Usually there's some sort of incantation to activate the magic to pass it on, but it can sometimes activate automatically. If the Keyblade didn't disappear, then the ceremony's complete."

Shirou shook his head. "I don't remember anything before the fire."

"Then the only Keyblade we _know_ you've seen—" Sora stopped. His eyes widened. The image of Shirou falling and catching the Kingdom Key flashed through his mind.

"Sora?"

"Crap."

 **-** _ **"What?"**_

Sora backed away from the Gummi ship's communicator, wincing. "Come on, Aqua. It's not like this hasn't happened before."

"That's not the point, Sora." Aqua's voice faded out, corrupted by static.

He sighed. "Aqua, you're breaking up again." He twisted the nobs. "Geez, this world really likes making things difficult."

"…ra? Sora?"

"Still here."

"Good."

"So what should I do?"

The line crackled, and Sora thought he'd lost her again. Then she said, "Train him."

"Um."

"You can't keep shirking your duties. If you apprenticed him, accident or not, you still have to teach him."

"I'm not 'shirking my duties.'" He shifted uncomfortably and folded his arms. "But, I mean, he's still really young. Like, six. He's not ready for this kind of thing."

"I was six when Master Eraqus apprenticed me."

"Yeah, but you're a magical genius."

"Terra was five."

"Um, well. None of _our_ group was trained."

"Ven was comatose, Terra was possessed, and I was in the Realm of Darkness. Besides, I didn't _know_ Kairi had been chosen, and you weren't originally supposed to wield a Keyblade."

Sora scratched his head.

Aqua's sigh rattled through, static distorting it. "You've spent the last ten years traveling the worlds by yourself. You were always the most social. Wouldn't you like to have a companion now?"

"He's still not ready for the Heartless."

"Then take him someplace they don't regularly spawn, and train him there. You could even come back to the Land of Departure." A hopeful note entered her voice.

"I'll think about it. Talk to you when I give my report." He cut the communication and ran his hands over his face.

Footsteps tapped behind him. "I want to go with you."

"Shirou." He sighed and turned. "It's not as easy as that. I mean, I'd probably have to fill out paperwork to become your guardian, and I can't really do a lot of that."

"Then don't. I don't have anyone who'd miss me."

"That's kidnapping."

Shirou met his gaze with clear, serious eyes. "I want to learn how to be strong like you."

"Eh?"

"You made it through the fire. On your own, without getting hurt. And you saved me, and the others." He looked away, fists clenched and shaking. "I don't want…I don't want to—" He stopped and faced Sora again. "Can you teach me to be like you?"

Sora stared. Then he chuckled. "Ah, man. I don't know if this is a good idea. But how can I say no when you look at me like that? Fine. I'll train you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But we're going to at least _try_ to do it legally."

* * *

 _Well, that's chapter four down. Hey, Sora's finally accepted Shirou as his apprentice! Review responses:_

 **Shirosaki Kizuro:** Yeah, there'll be some chapters about that length. This one was a bit longer, though. And thanks!

 **animesguardianangel:** Yeah, there'll probably be a few shorter chapters like that, depending on the content I need to get through/flow. Eh, true—guess I just never thought of that as 'racist,' more…specist? I hope the fight lived up to expectations!

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Thanks!

 **Gold2King:** When I saw your review, I seriously considered doing that, just because of how humorous it would be.

 **Kamen Rider Ebon:** There will be a few of them showing up in later fights—the only one besides normal magic really showing up here was Salvation, and that was introduced with Ven. (If I'm remembering right, Sora got access to it in 3D.)

 **:** Thanks! Sora—this Sora—has gotten a glimpse at true human darkness before, but not quite on that 'pure' a scale, so yeah, a little bit of a surprise for him.

 **ultima-owner:** Um…okay?

 **Great fan-M:** Hmm. Personally, I've never really attributed any real-world nationality to the KH and FF original characters, largely because they don't come from the real world. As far as the closest ethnicity…possibly? Language-wise, though, I had trouble remembering at first why I didn't originally have the translation spell handle both speech and written language; I think I did it for emersion reasons, but I honestly can't remember my original thought process on that. Regardless, your review _did_ spur me to do a little more world-building, so I have an answer for you now: the Keyblade automatically casts a language translation spell upon arriving in a world, which allows the wielder to understand, at most, three separate languages, depending on the strength of the spell (other translation spells could be used to understand more). Written words, because they are on tangible objects, require a slightly more complicated translation spell, so the Keyblade doesn't do it automatically. Because most of the things Sora has to read are written in the 'Common' language (which is also Sora's native language), he's never bothered to learn the translation spell. For your second question, Shirou's Keyblade is named "Vir." The name comes from Latin, meaning "hero" or "man of courage." And thanks for the Christmas wishes! I hope you enjoyed your Christmas, as well!

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Thank you! I hope this chapter lived up to expectations.

 **KadoyaOkami:** Haha, I don't want to say too much on this yet because of spoilers. But…things happen. (I know, that's horribly vague. Sorry.) I'm glad you like the start! And this might just be me being dense, but could you clarify the 'stopping at one point' thing?

 _Any questions/comments/constructive criticism? Please leave a review and let me know!_


	5. Destiny Islands

_Happy (late) New Year, everyone! Thank you Shirosaki Kizuro, animesguardianangel, Aburg76, phuxeds, blackfirekingkoncor, SwordofallCreation, Parks98, Gold2King, ultima-owner, , and Gashadokuro Amanojaku for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Five: Destiny Islands**

 _Flame surrounded him. They touched the sky, devouring buildings. People reached for him, trying to catch his legs. He moved, covering his ears._

 _"Help! Help, please!"_

 _"Someone save me!"_

 _"I don't want to die."_

I'm sorry. _He continued, the words dull._ I'm sorry.

 _A figure emerged from the wreckage and loomed over him, the skin peeling away, skeletal teeth sneering. "You should stay with us!" Its boney body fell, arms flopping over his shoulders._

 _He stumbled._

 _Other skeletal figures emerged from the wreckage and caught his legs, his arms, chanting the same words, over and over._

 _"Wait!" He struggled. Ash and smoke filled his nose. Between outstretched arms flashed a hole in the sky, dripping mud. A thin, blue tendril stretched skyward, and a voice whispered, almost too quiet to hear, "You don't belong."_

Shirou's eyes snapped open. He lay still several moments, slowly breathing again, registering the blanket over his shoulders, the metal underneath him. He sat, rubbing his eyes.

Sora still steered the ship—'Gummi ship,' he'd said—through the black expanse. Stars flickered around them.

Shirou stood and walked closer.

Sora turned and smiled tiredly. "You're awake."

Shirou nodded. "Are we almost there?"

"Yeah. See that world?" He pointed. "That's Destiny Islands. My home."

"That's where we're going to start training?"

"Yeah. Heartless don't appear there too often, so it should be pretty safe, for a while, anyways." Sora angled the Gummi ship. They descended. The blue-black faded to a pale blue. Clouds flashed past them.

Shirou gaped and edged closer to the window.

Sora brought them up above a beach. They hovered a moment, then landed. Sora led Shirou, saying, "This will be your new home for a while."

Large trees covered the island. Treehouses nestled in their branches. Several bridges, walks, and other buildings populated the beach. Water stretched into the distance. Visible on the horizon was another island. Shirou asked, "What's over there?"

"Hmm? Oh, I forgot. This world is called 'Destiny Islands,' and is made up of just that. A lot of islands."

"How big are they?"

"Most populated ones are about the same as our Main Island. This world isn't a very large one, but there are actually quite a few populated islands. I remember when ships docked in our port from strange places. My friends and I would rush to greet them and find out what stories they had to tell." A wistful note entered his voice.

Shirou tilted his head. "Are we going to go over there?"

"Maybe sometime." Sora's expression fell. "We'll stay here for now." He turned. "Okay. So, ah, what do you want to learn?"

Shirou blinked. "Whatever you can teach me."

"Right. Right." Sora scratched his chin. "Well, let's start with basic attacks, I guess." He summoned his Keyblade.

Shirou extended a hand. "How do I summon mine?"

"I thought you knew."

"It just kind of happened when I attacked Kotomine."

"Oh. Well, it's as simple as calling for it. Focus and imagine it appearing in your hand."

Shirou frowned, but closed his eyes. He imagined the strange weapon appearing in his closed fist. _Vir._ A metallic sound rent the air and light turned the inside of his eyelids pink. His eyes snapped open. Light settled, and Vir appeared, a heavy, awkward weight in his hand.

"Good. It's probably going to be a little heavy for you to wield for a while, so we'll have to practice to get your arm strength up." Sora gripped his Keyblade with both hands and crouched. "Now attack me."  
"What?"

"The best way to learn is by experience."

Shirou eyed the Keyblade skeptically.

Sora laughed. "I'll go easy. This time."

Shirou mimicked Sora's stance, then charged. He swung, Vir's movement sluggish. The weapon swept far to the side.

Sora blocked, then tapped Shirou's head. "First point's mine."

Shirou rubbed his head. He swung again.

Sora jumped back, then swung and tapped Shirou's side. "And the second one, too."

Shirou eyed Vir. _It's too heavy to swing well. It keeps pulling me too far._ He shook his head, then stabbed.

Sora parried, slid his Keyblade along Vir, and hit Shirou's chest, knocking him down. "Don't let me get _all_ the points."

Shirou scowled. "There's a set amount?"  
Sora laughed. "Nope."

Shirou stood. He eyed Sora critically, then cut the air again.

They proceeded like that for a long time. Shirou lost count of the times he'd been blocked and struck. He eventually discovered that Vir's heavy swing could help him escape his trainer's attacks. He let the weapon's momentum pull him aside. Sora blinked, surprised, then smiled and continued. The first few tries resulted in Shirou sprawled across the sand and scrambling to his feet; towards the end he managed a summersault to return to standing.

He panted, sweat dripping down his face, and crouched, still clasping Vir.

Sora wiped his forehead. "Okay, that's enough for now." His Keyblade disappeared.

Shirou relaxed. "How do I dismiss Vir?"

"Basically the same way you summon it. Concentrate and think about it leaving your hand."

Shirou obeyed. His Keyblade disappeared into light.

Sora led him to a small pool of water for a drink, then disappeared, appearing a moment later with some mushrooms. "They're edible. You probably shouldn't go picking your own until you know what's poisonous, though." He handed some to Shirou.

He accepted it. The fungus had a rubbery texture, and he grimaced.

Sora chuckled, then moved some sticks, summoned his Keyblade, and ordered, "Fire." A small fireball ignited the wood.

Shirou blinked. "Will I be able to do that?"

"Eventually." Sora dismissed his Keyblade and speared a mushroom with a spare stick.

They sat in silence a while, roasting mushrooms and eating them. When they finished, the fire had eaten all its fuel and died.

Sora shifted and scratched his cheek. "So."

Shirou tilted his head, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, he asked, "What was it like when you got your Keyblade?"

"Eh?"

"Did you hear a weird voice?" He thought of his dream. "I guess you must have known you were getting it, but—" He trailed off.

Sora shook his head. "Actually, I was just as surprised as you probably were."

Shirou stared.

"My world was dying." Sora's eyes gained a far-off look. "Heartless—creatures made from darkness—were attacking. They came in such large numbers that the world began falling apart. I'd sparred with my friends before, but I'd never fought anything like them. My attacks hardly did anything." He paused. "I found my friend, Riku, out there." He pointed to a small crop of land just off the island. "He asked me to come with him into the darkness. I didn't really know what to think at the time, but I trusted Riku." He chuckled, but it sounded sad. "I never reached him before he disappeared. The Keyblade appeared then."

Shirou hugged his legs. _Was it like the fire?_ He didn't voice the question, instead asking, "How old were you?"

"Fourteen."

Shirou nodded, then, unsure what to say, rested his chin on his knees and stared across the waves. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the 'Heartless,' the peaceful island crumbling. It seemed unreal.

Sora stood abruptly. "I'd better get my report ready for Aqua. You can explore the island, if you want. There's nothing too much to worry about here." He glanced skyward, then entered the Gummi ship.

Shirou remained where he sat. Everything seemed hard to grasp. Names he didn't know, worlds he didn't know existed; they bounced around his skull, banging uselessly against each other.

He shook his head and stood. He extended his hand and concentrated, imagining Vir appearing. The Keyblade materialized. He glanced around, then moved a few paces away, swinging the Keyblade and ignoring his protesting muscles, attacking the air in no particular pattern.

 **-Sora** folded his arms. A blank sheet of paper taunted him. He sighed, then scribbled, _"Found a new world. Entry was rough; felt more like 'dropping' than entering the world's atmosphere. The world seemed to be poisoning itself upon arrival. A cursed fire destroyed a portion of a city with few survivors. No sign of Heartless."_ He hesitated. _"One survivor accidentally received the Keyblade, and became my apprentice."_ He stopped writing and twirled the pen. _Was this really a good idea? Maybe he would've been safer on his own world._ Then he thought of the world's seeming hostility towards him, and of the priest. _Then again, maybe not. But this is weird. I've never done anything like it before._ He scribbled the rest of his report: _"The origin of the darkness seemed to be 'the Holy Grail.' Further research would be needed. The world seemed hostile. A priest seemed to exude the same darkness the fire did."_ He scrawled his name at the top, folded the paper, and pressed a button on the dashboard. A compartment opened. He placed the paper inside and shut it. The compartment glowed briefly.

Sora sighed. _Hopefully that's good enough._ He leaned back. Waves broke outside the Gummi ship's window; the faint roar pierced its hull. The Main Island stood blurry against the horizon. _How long has it been since I've been home?_ He had trouble remembering the last time. _I should stop by and see how Mom and Dad are doing. They'll probably want to meet Shirou. And I can check in with Riku and Kairi's parents. Maybe Riku will stop by with his apprentice. I think he comes home more than I do. And Kairi—_ His growing smile fell. _Kairi probably doesn't have time anymore. Her dad will probably have letters from her, though._ He slumped, and laughed quietly, the sound sad. _Almost forgot. Guess it might not be a good idea to make my presence too known._

 _But it'd be good to see some old faces again. And besides, Shirou should get to know people besides me. Might ease the nightmares, a little._ Something bothered him about the fact that the kid seemed so _calm_ still in his waking hours, but he knew the boy's dreams weren't peaceful; on their trip, Shirou had whimpered in his sleep, tossing.

Sora rubbed his eyes and left.

Shirou stood outside, panting and leaning on Vir.

"Were you _training_?"

Shirou jumped, Vir disappearing. "Yes."

"You can rest, you know. Don't work yourself too much."

"I want to get better."

"Yeah, but there's a lot of other stuff, too."

Shirou blinked.

Sora scratched his cheek. "Come with me. I can show you around."

The two traveled. Sora showed Shirou the treehouses, the paopu tree, the place where he and Riku would race when they were kids. He took him through the trees, and gave him a brief rundown on what plants were safe and what weren't.

He took him to the Secret Place last. He brushed past the ivy.

The small cave had new drawings, scrawled with child-like hand across the walls. Some covered old patterns or changed old drawings. The door to the world's heart still stood, hidden in shadow, but Sora knew it would remain locked.

Shirou asked, "Is this you?"

"Hmm?"

Shirou crouched, examining the image of Sora and Kairi feeding each other paopu fruit.

"Yeah."

"So who's that?"

"That's Kairi. She's an old friend of mine."

"Isn't that the fruit from that tree? Why are you giving it to each other?"

Sora crouched. "There's a legend surrounding the paopu fruit, you know. If two people share it, their fates are supposed to be intertwined. I-it's just a story, though."

"You must have cared about each other a lot."

Sora stared at the drawing. "Yeah." He stood. "Come on. It's getting late."

Shirou followed him. He half-expected the boy to ask questions, but he didn't.

The sun fell, sending long, orange-and-yellow streaks across the water. Sora said, "Well, let's head to sleep! We can train more tomorrow."

Shirou frowned, looking worried.

"Something wrong?"

Shirou shook his head.

Sora closed his eyes, silently reaching for the boy's heart. Faint fear stirred in it, buried beneath the darkness still gently surrounding his heart. "We can stay up a while longer, if you're not ready yet."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We can tell ghost stories until you fall asleep." He mimed a monster crawling after him.

Shirou frowned.

Sora laughed, and rubbed his head. "I'll get a campfire started."

 **-Shirou** stared at the dying embers of the fire. The waves roared quietly, washing against the shore. Bugs chirped from the forest. Sora, beside him, breathed slowly.

His eyes drooped. He jerked them open. The Main Island, over the water, appeared as blurry lights on the horizon. The lights stretched and faded, then became darkness, and Shirou fell into a familiar, burning landscape. Smoke billowed around him. Heat warped the air. Screams echoed oddly through his ears. Someone burned, hand stretched skyward. His mouth moved, eyes wide, voice too quiet to hear.

Shirou stared, unable to move, to think, to register what was happening.

The person disintegrated.

Shirou's emotions numbed. He moved.

 _You were not meant to leave._ The voice hissed through his ear, quiet, painful, insistent.

Shirou jerked.

A figure appeared before him, blurry and indistinguishable. The only thing visible was the large, gold-and-silver key. The world faded, until only that key remained, glowing in the darkness. It spun, then fell, and Shirou fell with it.

He landed on a familiar stained glass platform. The Keyblade jabbed, blade-first, into the surface.

Shirou groaned, then sat. The platform beneath him had cleared. Orange stained the circular edge, filled with intricate patterns. Several circles patterned the top of the circle. One held an image of Sora; the others remained empty. Gears edged around them, reminding him of Vir. The bottom of the circle exposed barren, brown land, filled with weapons of all kinds. Shirou touched the platform. It warmed beneath his hand, pulsing faintly, like a heartbeat.

 _Are you ready?_

Shirou jerked. "Who are you?"

 _Pick up the Keyblade._

Shirou stared. He hesitated, drawing his hand closer. "But I already have one."

The platform cracked beneath him.

He stood, wobbling.

The glass shattered, and he fell, disappearing into darkness, too shocked to even scream.

* * *

 _And that's it for the fifth chapter. Review responses:_

 **Shirosaki Kizuro:** He wasn't actually intended to be underpowered. I was attempting to try and scale where Kotomine would place as a sort of 'boss fight' in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Since this is Kotomine in his prime—and since Kotomine's supposed to be one of strongest humans in the Nasuverse—I figured the fight between the two would be pretty even. (Also took a few cues from the Kiritsugu vs. Kotomine fight from Fate/Zero, since Kiritsugu was also an experienced protagonist, but that might not have been the best idea on my part.)

 **animesguardianangel:** I honestly forgot about the different finishers available. As far as technique goes, I actually based some of Sora's moves on modern fencing techniques. (While Sora's Keyblade fighting would likely be closer to broad sword, I don't know that as well, so I tried to use the moves that would still be applicable for a heavier two-handed weapon.) Haha, paperwork was overcome!

 **Aburg76:** Thank you! I mentioned last chapter that Gilgamesh was out at this point, so that's why he didn't intervene.

 **phuxeds:** Thanks! And that's kind of the plan; this story is both Shirou and Sora's, so I want to give both their due.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** I actually do plan to use Keyblade transformations later in the story, for both Sora and Shirou's Keyblades. (I'm sure you can probably guess what Shirou's will be.) The reason I didn't for this fight is because for some reason I was thinking that in the D3 2013 trailer Sora wasn't using the Kingdom Key, and so I'd have to come up with a suitable transformation. I re-watched the trailer and face palmed. But, yeah, they'll be appearing later.

 **SwordofallCreation:** Thank you! I hope it lives up to expectations.

 **Parks98:** Thanks! Haha, yeah, Kirei's pretty crazy in his prime. I'll probably end up posting a picture of Vir so people can get a better idea of what it looks like, but the general idea of using a tumbler key was that it would look more 'sword-like' than a traditional Keyblade, so think that with some gears on the guard and you have a general idea. As for UBW…you'll see~

 **Gold2King:** Plot twist: it's the only magic he's good at. So Shirou wins all his fights by spamming ignite.

 **ultima-owner:** Haven't thought too much about it, considering those particular worlds won't be appearing. For Atlantica, probably something as similar as a merman (not sure about tail structure—maybe he could be shark-based?). For Pride Lands, definitely a lion cub with a reddish coat. As for Halloween Town…probably something like a zombie, because nearly everything about him—besides his body and some lingering sentiments—was lost in the fire, but he still keeps going.

 **:** While that might be interesting, I don't know that it'll necessarily happen.

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku:** Thanks! Haha, yep; can't escape that.

 _If there's anything you liked (or didn't), leave a review!_


	6. Awakening

_And here's chapter six. Thank you Kiri Kaitou Clover, Gold2King, idea . getthe , ultima-owner, animesguardianangel, Parks98, Kamen Rider Ebon, and Mythfan for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Six: Awakening**

The darkness pulled away from Shirou's eyes, and he found himself on another stained glass platform. The design remained the same as the previous, the only difference being the red hue. Shirou stood. The expanse stretched around him, silent, dust motes floating in the hazy light. He felt strangely hesitant to speak.

The strange, soundless voice intoned, _You have already chosen the power of the warrior._

A sword materialized in front of Shirou.

Two pillars appeared. Above one materialized a black-and-red shield. Above the other appeared a staff with a blue topper.

 _Now you must choose the power to discard. Choose carefully._

Shirou frowned. His voice came out in a scratched whisper: "I have to get rid of one? Why?"

Nothing responded.

"But I didn't actually _choose_ the sword." His voice steadied and lifted, and he jerked, half-surprised, when he received a response:

 _The choice was predetermined. There was no other path available due to the nature of your heart._

"What nature?"

The voice didn't speak again, leaving Shirou to pace restlessly across the stained glass. He glanced at the staff and touched it. A strange feeling washed over him; charged energy, pulsing beneath him, ready to burst through his skin.

The voice returned, chanting, _The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin._

Shirou jerked, then moved to the shield. This time a warmth filled him, still powerful, still encompassing, but motivating, as if he could stretch wings from his back to wrap another.

 _The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all._

The words struck a chord inside Shirou. He stepped back, uncertain about the feeling. _Repel all?_ The image of Sora wavered in his mind. He returned to the staff. "I give up this."

The staff disappeared into light.

 _Your path is set._

A door materialized across the platform.

 _Now open the door._

Shirou took hesitant steps towards the gateway. The door yielded, bringing with it bright, blinding light. When it cleared, Shirou found himself standing in the Fuyuki church. He whipped around. No sign of the platform remained. The only stained glass rested in the windows.

A voice intoned, "Shirou."

He whipped around, then stumbled back.

Kotomine stood at the altar, arms folded behind his back, eyes serious.

Shirou extended a hand. "Vir!" The weapon didn't materialize.

Kotomine inclined his head, but remained where he stood. "What is it that you seek?"

"Eh?"

The man didn't repeat his question.

Shirou hesitated. The eerie feeling he'd received from the church previously didn't permeate the air, and the man, while unnerving, didn't seem hostile, his question innocent. Shirou eyed him, but pondered the question. "I don't know."

Kotomine blinked, but remained there.

"I guess it's…" Flames ate his mind. People shouted for him to stop and help, but he continued, too weak and scared and selfish to do anything. "To never let something like that happen again."

Kotomine inclined his head, then faded.

Shirou jumped. He hurried to the place the priest had once stood and hesitantly stretched a hand. He met no resistance, and waved his hand through the empty air. He frowned uncertainly.

Another voice, fainter, called his name, "Shirou."

"Sora?" He entered the courtyard.

The Keyblade wielder stood in the center, smiling, arms crossed. "What is most important to you?"

"Important?" That seemed like an impossible question to answer. He didn't think he had anything he valued, really. But he imagined Sora carrying him out of the fire, dragging a choking darkness from his chest, and something inside him wished to know how to do that. "I guess you. You saved my life, and you said you'd train me." The answer sounded lacking, even to his ears.

Sora seemed to accept this, fading much like Kotomine.

An unfamiliar, female voice said, "Over here, Shirou."

He whipped around.

A black-haired girl stepped from the shadows, her long black trench coat sweeping the ground.

"Who are you?"

She smiled, sadly. "What are you willing to do to reach your goals?"

"Eh? Work hard, I guess."

The girl watched him, not moving, not fading like the others.

Shirou hesitantly moved towards her. He stretched a hand, eyed her, then tapped her arm, surprised when it didn't fade.

She giggled.

Shirou frowned.

The girl repeated, "What are you willing to do to reach your goals?"

Shirou stepped back and considered her question more carefully. He closed his eyes. A familiar darkness filled his mind. He answered as if from some far-off place, the words hardly registered: "I'm willing to die."

The girl's eyes grew sadder. "You have a very difficult road ahead of you. If there's ever a time when you find yourself facing your shadow, face it with the courage of the sword you wield." She lifted a long blue tendril. "I'm sorry." She faded away, the tendril disappearing from sight.

Shirou blinked. _What did she mean?_

The world faded around him, disappearing into specks of light. The stained glass returned beneath his feet, paired with a long set of glass-like stairs.

 _Now you must decide: will you go forward?_

Shirou stared. The stairs ascended into darkness. He looked around, then swallowed and moved. The first step remained solid beneath his foot. He took another step, and continued, footsteps tapping loudly through space.

He ascended for what seemed an eternity. The stairs disappeared below, and continued up with no sign of stopping. He pressed on. "Where am I going? Why do I have to keep climbing?"

Only the dull ringing of his footsteps answered.

A faint light appeared.

Shirou's movements quickened, steps ringing a faster tempo. The glow shifted in form, revealing another platform, stretching high, light pooling around it. The stairs arched towards it.

He reached the top. His feet tapped onto the more solid-sounding, blue platform.

 _You have chosen to move forward. Your resolve will be tested._

The stairs disappeared.

 _Careful where you tread._

"Eh?"

Something shifted at the end of the platform. A shadow twicthed, quivering, its movements uneven. It stopped, seeming to sense something. Two blood-red eyes flashed.

Shirou stepped back. His instincts screamed at him to flee. A primal fear raced through him. His heart pounded. His hair lifted.

A figure grew from the shadows. Long claws, streaming smoke, stretched and curled against the stained glass. A horned head and long, narrow snout arched high. Shadowy wings elongated from the claws. Deep purple and red patterned the body, highlighted by glowing orange veins. A strange, dark mark appeared on the creature's head, almost like a fractured heart, extensions resembling bat-like wings.

Shirou turned back towards the edge, searching for an escape. He stared, shaking, his hearing distant, hardly registering his own breathing.

The creature—dragon, his mind supplied helpfully—snorted dark smoke.

 _Defend yourself._

It roared, the veins glowing brighter, the inner mouth resembling a living fire.

Shirou couldn't bring himself to scream.

The dragon's red eyes flicked to him.

 _Move._

It clawed closer, lower half still missing, hidden by the side of the pillar.

 _Move!_

The dragon's neck shot forward, snake-like.

Shirou jolted into action, jumping to the side, skidding across the stained glass.

The dragon's jaws snapped shut, then snapped again, slightly to the side, as if agitated. It arched its neck, the veins glowing, then sprayed a stream of flame.

Shirou scrambled to his feet and dashed away, hiding beneath the dragon's outstretched neck, then realized how close he was to the claws, and hurried away.

The flames' heat brushed his skin and faded. The sensation was eerily familiar.

The dragon eyed him.

Shirou extended his hand. "Vir!" The Keyblade materialized.

The dragon snapped.

Shirou dove, the dragon's jaws barely missing him. He rolled over and swung, the blade dragging across the dragon's jaw.

The reptile snarled, its neck twisting sharply skyward. It shot several fireballs.

Shirou stumbled to avoid them as they fell. The fireballs crashed around him. One struck near his foot. Another brushed his arm. He fell, then struggled to his feet. _How am I supposed to defend myself against that?_

For a moment, the monster's form wavered, distorted by static. The dragon screeched, flames glowing inside its mouth. The sound almost resembled a human scream, and Shirou covered his ears.

The creature landed, shaking the platform. It crawled towards him.

Shirou swung Vir, trying to keep the dragon away, and used the momentum to role, much like he had with Sora. He returned to his feet under a tented wing.

The dragon stomped its claws, then pulled back and slammed the ground.

Smoke riled around the wings, forming dark, human-like specters.

Shirou eyed them. His mind cooled. He swung, battering away the wraiths while the dragon watched. Vir still moved too awkwardly, too heavy for his small arms, but the wraiths were easy to dissipate, not bothering to dodge, coming at him mostly straight.

One stretched past his ear, cut in half by his Keyblade. The fragment whispered, _"Why?"_

Shirou stepped and swung, cutting through two more. They brushed past his arms, too warm, repeating the question, _"Why?"_

The dragon arched its neck, inhaled, and breathed a stream of fire.

Shirou ducked. The heat warmed his hair and back. Smoke filled his nostrils. The wraiths seemed suddenly more alive amidst the flickering flames. For a moment, the scene morphed, broken buildings surrounding him, dirt and debris replacing stained glass. The wraiths wailed and writhed, screeching, _"Why did you leave us behind?"_

 _Keep moving._ Shirou stepped forward on frozen limbs.

A wraith shot and caught his leg.

He lifted Vir, cutting it quickly.

The face morphed, momentarily looking like a human child, then disappeared into ash.

Shirou's arms shook.

Another wraith caught his arm.

He tugged himself free. _Keep moving._

 _"Help us!"_

 _Keep moving._

The shadowy hands of the wraiths tugged at his shirt. The dragon perched above the burning scenery, a dark, lonely shadow, red eyes pinpoints of light.

 _How is this…?_

He swung, Vir freeing a leg.

 _How is this fair?_

The wraiths pulled him down. He struggled free.

 _What did I do to deserve being saved?_ His body moved, continuing towards the dragon, functioning and unconcerned with the slow-building turmoil inside his mind.

He fell, skidding across the burning ground. The entire scene disappeared in waves of dark smoke.

The dragon's head swung around. It reared, wings beating rapidly, then lunged.

Shirou rolled, then lifted his Keyblade.

The dragon's claws slammed on top of him, covering him and pressing down, hard.

Shirou gasped, then pressed back, arms shaking.

The dragon pressed, harder.

He choked.

The thought of death didn't bother him. But his body persisted, disagreeing with what he thought he felt. His voice rose in a battle cry. He shifted, moving Vir to one side, then dismissed it.

The claws shifted and slammed on either side of him.

Shirou scrambled away and re-summoned Vir. Something wet slid down his cheeks, and he touched it, surprised.

The dragon's jaws snapped towards him.

Shirou lifted Vir, trying to block, the dragon's snout pushing him uncomfortably close to the edge. He caught the creature's muzzle and kicked, scrambling on top of the head.

The dragon pulled back, shaking, snarling.

Shirou held tighter. He stabbed Vir into the dragon's mouth.

It roared, arching high, and exhaled flame, the stained-glass sending beautiful, terrifying colors into the air. The creature landed and slammed its head to the ground.

Shirou jolted free, collapsing.

The dragon swung towards him, catching him before he could escape and flinging him into the air.

He hovered, his clothes fluttering, Vir nearly slipping from his fingertips.

His own fire coursed through his veins, running through his bones, tempering the steel. He reached, fingers tugging Vir closer, and grasped the Keyblade tighter, and twisted, his weapon a glowing arc through the air.

He hit the dragon's muzzle, and for a moment stared into blazing red eyes.

The two shot apart, the dragon snarling, Shirou arcing over the dragon's back. He hit the rough hide and bounced, then rolled. He dug Vir into the skin, but the blade pulled free. He caught the dragon's wing, dangling, legs kicking.

The dragon landed, the force shaking Shirou free.

He hit the ground, wincing.

The dragon reared, fireballs flying into the air again.

Shirou moved, getting as close to the dragon as possible. _It wouldn't hit itself with its own fire. Would it?_

The flames rained around him, dissipating when they hit the ground. Some landed dangerously close, but none touched him.

The dragon crashed down, its chest dipping low enough to brush Shirou's head.

Shirou stared, then steeled himself. He stabbed upward.

Vir struck the dragon's chest and pierced it.

The creature screeched, the veins blazing brightly.

Shirou half closed his eyes and dragged Vir free. Molten liquid spilled around him. He pulled away, using Vir to help divert the flow.

The dragon writhed, neck swinging wildly, claws scraping the glass, winged extensions flailing.

Shirou stood and raced away.

The dragon fell.

 _I'm never going to make it._ He skidded, turned, and lifted Vir, closing his eyes and bracing the Keyblade with both hands.

The dragon faded, flames and darkness raining around him. The burning tendrils wrapped around his legs and pulled him lower. He struggled, swinging Vir, trying to cut the darkness and failing.

The voice whispered, _Do not forget._

The darkness crawled up him, clutching his face, his shoulders, pulling him down.

 _Even shadows can have surprising power._

The dark tendrils stretched over his eyes. The light sparked, blurry a moment, then disappeared. For a moment he thought the dragon hadn't died, still watching him with bright eyes, shadowy and flickering with flames.

* * *

 _Okay, so that's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Yes, indeed. I based quite a bit of this off Sora's, so there are still quite a few similarities.

 **Gold2King:** Well, plenty of foreshadowing here, at least. And things will certainly get…interesting.

 **idea . getthe:** Indeed. By the way, for some reason my document on the manager was deleting your name when I wrote it normally, so that's why there's a space between the words and the period.

 **ultima-owner:** Hmm, I wonder about Merlin~ But yeah, Sora's training was haphazard, to say the least.

 **animesguardianangel:** Thanks. I've rather enjoyed the world building I've been able to do (and probably will continue to do) for this. Haha, ah, it's been a while since I've played a Kingdom Hearts game that isn't Birth by Sleep/3D. That's…kind of how I forgot about them. (Sans the finishers in BBS when you don't get a command style…) And that's possible. (Though to be honest, I might look at actual broad sword techniques. The fact that Sora was never actually trained gives me plenty of leeway, at least.)

 **Parks98:** Thanks! I figured it would be pretty appropriate. Those circles will get filled eventually. You'll have to see what happens as far as abilities go, but the thing he chose to give up should give some sort of hint. I actually thought of a sword fish after I posted the chapter! Haha, still figure merman would be most appropriate, but maybe he could have sword fish attributes. There are certainly going to be some interesting reactions from Sora and the others. As for the Nobody thing, I will confirm that the Samurai's don't technically serve Sora, but they don't really attack him, either; if he asks nicely they'll usually leave others alone, but he can't call them or directly command them. You'd be correct in that Shirou will be involved, but as for his role…well, you'll have to wait and see. And thank you so much for the high opinion on my story!

 **Kamen Rider Ebon:** Maybe~

 **Mythfan:** Thanks!

 _Originally I was going to post some world-building here about the Awakening/Dive to the Heart, but after thinking about it I think most of this will be covered in the next chapter, so whatever's not I'll just relegate to the author's note there. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a review!_


	7. Riku

_Here's chapter seven. Thank you DPSS, idea . getthe, Kiri Kaitou Clover, brave kid, Sceonn, Mythfan, Parks98, ultima-owner, Gold2King, animesguardianangel, and blackfirekingkoncor for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seven: Riku**

Aqua frowned and scanned Sora's report. She sighed and leaned back. _What would cause a world to be hostile to Keyblade wielders? I wish he had put where the world was. I'd like to go investigate._

Noise sounded in the hallway. "No fair, I was training with that!"

"But you've been using it for _hours_. It's my turn."

"Fire!"

"Wh-what—hey! That hurts!"

Aqua rubbed her hands over her face. "Rai. Melody. Please come here."

The sounds quieted. The door creaked open. Two children tentatively entered, one a dark-skinned, brown-haired girl in a t-shirt and skirt, the other a black-haired boy in slightly-singed clothes. The boy had a practice dummy clutched to his chest.

Aqua stood and approached. "Where's your master? Wasn't he supervising your training?"

The boy, Rai, looked away.

Melody met her gaze. "Lea said he had somewhere important to be, so we were practicing alone."

"I see." Aqua made a mental note to talk to him later. "Do you know if Riku's around?"

"Oh, yeah! Him and Emi were practicing with us."

"Really."

"Yep. Do you want us to go get him?"

Rai protested, "Why was I volunteered?"

Aqua said, "Yes, Melody, that would be great."

Melody ran off.

Rai eyed Aqua over the practice dummy.

"You can go train. That'll keep her busy for a while, at least."

Rai grinned. "Thanks, Master Aqua." He hurried away.

Aqua returned to the report. She placed it on her work table. The space, for the most part, remained clean. Two trays sat pressed against the far corner. One, labeled 'to examine,' had a few reports inside; the other, labeled 'finished,' had several more. A pen rested near the trays. Just above the desk hung Master Eraquas's old Keyblade, still shining.

Someone knocked on her door. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Hello, Riku." She turned. "Emi's not with you?"

"She wanted to keep practicing her spells." He moved towards her. "What did you need me for?"

"This is Sora's most recent report."

Riku accepted the paper, and scanned it. His eyebrows lifted. "He's got an apprentice?"

Aqua nodded. "That's not what most concerns me, though. Have you ever heard of a world being hostile to Keyblade wielders?"

Riku shrugged. "There are a lot of things I haven't heard of. Aren't you the more experienced one here?"

Aqua eyed him.

"It does seem kind of weird. Do you want me to look into it?"

"No. I think I'm taking on this one myself." She took the paper back. "But I _do_ want you to keep an eye out for anything you can find on this."

"Mm-hm. And you want me to get it through Sora, right?"

Aqua sighed. "He's the only one who knows where the world is. Besides, he's been away for long enough. Coming back would be good for both him and his apprentice."

Riku folded his arms. "Give him time. Sora could never stay away forever."

"He's managed for ten years."

Riku shifted, looking away. "I can go talk to him. I think I know where he'd be. But I'm not dragging him back if he's not interested."

"I don't expect you to."

Riku turned.

"There's one other thing."

He stopped and glanced back.

"Melody told me you were there while she and Rai were training. Why didn't you interfere when—"

Riku bolted before she finished.

Aqua sighed, then chuckled quietly. "It's like baby-sitting Terra and Ven all over again." She took the report. _Now, let's see if I can find anything out about this._

 **-Sora,** despite his tiredness, couldn't sleep. He woke up several times during the night, stars flickering overhead. Shirou had fallen asleep at some point, and he'd carried him into the Gummi ship, removing his jacket and draping it over the boy. He walked to the papou tree and sat, staring across the ocean until the sun rose, lighting the water and turning the sky a pale pink. His eyes drooped.

A voice said, "I thought I might find you here."

Sora shifted, suddenly alert. "Riku?"

His friend smiled. "It's been a while. You look old."

"Hey, I'm not even thirty yet. Besides, you're older."

Riku laughed. He hadn't changed much since he'd seen him last: his long hair dragged back in a ponytail, his eyes still showing signs of his long-standing fight with the darkness, but his heart at ease, as far as Sora could tell.

Sora slid off the tree. "So what brings you back?"

"Aqua showed me your report. I thought I'd come meet your new apprentice."

"Oh." Sora laughed awkwardly and rubbed his head. "How's Emi? And Aqua and the others?"

"Still a quick learner. She's waiting on the Main Island. The others are doing well. You heard about Lea's newest apprentice, right?"

"Yeah." He paused. "Have you heard anything from Kairi?"

"Of course. And if you actually stayed anywhere for a decent amount of time, you would, too." He hit Sora's head.

Sora smiled. "A-anyway. I'll probably be here a little while, at least. Come on. I'll take you to meet Shirou."

They walked back towards the beach.

 **-Shirou** stirred.

Someone called him.

He looked around. "Who's there?"

"Shirou."

"Sora?"

He jolted into awareness. He squirmed, throwing Sora's jacket free, panting.

Sora gave him a lop-sided smile. "Sorry to wake you."

Shirou shook his head. His breathing and heartbeat steadied. He found Sora's jacket and handed it back. He tried to steady his shaking hands. The strange dream still clung to him; wraith's twitched at the edge of his vision.

"An old friend's here. He wanted to meet you." Sora moved aside.

A man stepped forward, clean-shaven, hair in a ponytail, pale vest strapped over a light shirt. Strange metal bands wrapped his wrists, large pale circles in their center. The man knelt and extended a hand. "I'm Riku. Nice to meet you, Shirou."

Shirou blinked. The wraith's disappeared. He accepted the handshake. "Sora told me about you yesterday."

"Did he?"

Sora interrupted, "Ah, I didn't tell you everything, you know."

"Oh." Shirou tilted his head.

Riku snorted. He stood. "Why don't we go to the Main Island? I can introduce you to my apprentice, and Sora and I can chat."

 _Another apprentice?_ Shirou looked to Sora.

The Keyblade wielder looked slightly uncertain. His eyes flashed to Shirou, and his face morphed into a more reassuring smile. "Sure. She's only a couple years older than you. She's going to be eight now, right?"

"Already is. Her birthday was two weeks ago."

"Oh. Right." Sora's eyes drooped, despite his smile. "Well, let's go see her, then. I have to wish her a late 'happy birthday.'" He led the way.

Riku and Shirou followed.

Riku took the lead, directing them to a row-boat. He stepped inside and gripped the paddles.

Sora moved into the rocking vessel and extended his hands, lifting Shirou.

Shirou yelped in protest, his face red when Sora set him down.

Sora helped Riku untie the boat and they pushed off, Riku dragging the oars through the water smoothly. They sat in an easy silence, Sora trailing a hand through the water, Shirou curiously watching the approaching island.

They reached shore before long. The beach stretched away to a small town, a few trees leaning nearby. Another Gummi ship sat in the sand. A small girl crouched beside it, tentatively extending her hand towards a seagull, who fluttered ever further away.

Riku called, "Emi!"

The girl's head swung around.

The seagull screeched and fluttered away.

The girl frowned, then stood and hurried towards them. "Yes, Master Riku?"

"You remember Sora, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, this is his apprentice, Shirou. Shirou, this is Emi."

Shirou left the boat. Emi, despite being older, was slightly shorter than he was, pale blond hair pulled into a high ponytail, baggy clothes hanging from her frame. He frowned, then, recalling Riku's gesture, stiffly extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Emi glanced at Riku.

He nodded.

Emi shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

Sora scooped her into a hug.

She yelped and struggled. "Sora!"

"I think you've grown a little since I saw you, midget."

Emi pouted. "I'm not short."

Sora laughed and set her down. "Heard your birthday was two weeks ago."

"Yeah." She messed with her shirt, still frowning.

He grinned and ruffled her hair.

She ducked away.

Riku said, "Sora and I need to talk about things privately. Why don't you two get to know each other?"

Sora glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "We'll be in the Gummi ship." The two left.

Shirou and Emi stood in awkward silence for several moments. Shadows seemed to shift around Shirou, quiet whispers filling his ears, but they disappeared when he shook his head. He wanted to ask Emi whether she'd had any strange dreams, but the question died. "So," he began instead, "what were you doing with the bird?"

"Nothing." She blushed.

"But you were holding your hand out—"

"Um, how'd you become Sora's apprentice?"

He frowned, but said, "By accident. He—he saved me. From a big fire. I touched his Keyblade and then I was able to summon one." He closed his eyes and extended his hand. _Vir._ The weapon materialized, dipping into the sand.

Emi hesitated, then bent and looked at it. "What's it called?"

"Vir."

She nodded.

They remained together in awkward silence.

Emi asked, "Do you think you could catch a seagull?"

"Maybe? Why?"

"No reason."

Shirou shrugged. "I could try."

Emi nodded, and the two children hurried down the beach to find a seagull.

 **-Sora** stood, shifting uncomfortably. "Aqua sent you, didn't she?"

Riku sighed, also standing. "Yeah."

"I'm still pretty busy, you know. Especially now that I have an apprentice."

"You could train him at the Land of Departure."

Sora shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. The Play Island's where we trained, remember?"

"Yeah. 'Trained.'" Riku crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His eyes searched him. "Haven't you done enough running away?"

Sora silently reached towards Riku's heart. "What are you talking about? I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."

Frustration ticked Riku's heart, but didn't show on his face. Suspicion and worry tumbled with it.

Sora tried not to wince in guilt.

"Don't give me that. We've known each other since we were kids. I can read you like a book."

"I know." He smiled. "But you worry too much, Riku. Really. I just haven't had a lot of time to stop by. You know we've had a lot of cleaning up to do since the Puppet Master disappeared."

Uncertainty wormed into Riku's heart. "Hunting stray memories shouldn't take more than a couple years."

"I didn't think so, either. But some of them were really tricky to find."

The uncertainty grew, even though the suspicion remained. Sora could practically hear his friend thinking, _It's true that we were all really busy. Maybe he's not making excuses._ His friend forcibly pushed the uncertainty aside. "But now they should be gone, right? You gave a report about two years ago that said you'd found the last of them."

" _Thought_ I did. I wanted to make sure." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm going to be here a while, right? I thought it'd be nice to visit family and just train here a while. You know, for nostalgia's sake. I'll bring him to the Land of Departure later."

Sora didn't need to check Riku's heart to see the softening expression, the slight relenting, the small shift that signified he thought that his instincts were off, that maybe he was over-reacting.

Sora flashed a goofy smile. "Besides, I had to check out all the new places. I have pictures in my Gummi ship."

Exasperation overwhelmed Riku's other emotions in an instant. "You're just a giant tourist, aren't you?"

Sora folded his arms behind his head. "Yep."

Riku shook his head and laughed. "Whatever. Just think about it. It might be good for Shirou to train with other apprentices." He passed Sora and left.

Sora's hands fell and his expression followed. _Sorry, Riku. I don't think you can read me anymore._

 **-Shirou** soon realized that catching a seagull wasn't going to be as easy as he'd first thought.

The bird had been sitting so calmly on the sand. He crept towards it, carefully, but something must have alerted it; the bird took off, leaving Shirou to stare after it. Their second bird involved Shirou jumping after it and getting a face full of sand. Emi made the next attempt, trying to coax the bird towards her with bread from her pocket. They both ended up chasing it across the beach.

Shirou stumbled and fell into the water. He emerged, spluttering.

"Are you—ow!" The seagull had returned to perch on Emi's head. It pecked her, examined the bread, then gripped it and flew away. She sighed and rubbed her head.

Shirou stood and rung out his shirt.

Emi fidgeted. "It landed on me."

"Yeah." He eyed her. "I don't get it."

Emi looked suddenly flustered, then straightened. "I like birds."

"Okay." He sighed. The sand rubbed uncomfortably against his feet.

The two trudged back towards the Gummi ship. "Hey," Shirou said, slowly, "how long have you been an apprentice?"

"Three years. Almost."

"Have you ever had any strange dreams? About the Keyblade?"

"Doesn't every Keyblade apprentice dream about the Keyblade?"

"No. I mean, there's a strange voice involved. It doesn't really have a sound, but you know its saying something. And there's this weird stained-glass platform. And," he hesitated, "and you fight some sort of monster."

"Oh! That's an Awakening."

"Awakening?"

"Didn't Sora tell you? All Keybladers go through one. It's how they start unlocking their powers."

Shirou frowned pensively. "He hasn't had a lot of time to teach me yet."

"Riku says that he's always being lazy."

Shirou's frown deepened.

"But maybe he's different as a teacher?"

Shirou nodded, quickly. _I think._ "I don't actually know that much about him," he admitted quietly.

Emi remained silent for long enough he didn't think she'd speak again. When she did, her voice was quiet. "He's not around a whole lot, so I don't know much about him either. He's friends with Riku, so he says 'hi' sometimes, but he's on his own a lot."

Shirou shot her a sharp look.

"I guess he wasn't always that way. Everyone keeps saying that. But he just suddenly stopped talking to everyone. I guess no one noticed because things were really crazy. That's what Riku says, anyway."

Shirou rubbed sand from his arm.

" _I_ think he's just trying to be mysterious and hide how much of a dork he is," Emi declared, though her tone sounded forced.

Sora's voice carried to them, "Hey!"

Both children jumped.

Riku called, "I thought you two would stay near the Gummi ship."

Emi shifted, looking abashed.

Shirou said, "We were chasing seagulls."

"Chasing…seagulls?"

Emi turned red, but remained still.

Sora laughed. "They _are_ still kids."

"Fair enough." He looked to the children. "Well, Shirou, Sora's going to take you to his parent's house and show you around the island. We'll be staying here a while, so I'm sure we'll run into each other again." He moved away, Emi following.

Sora extended a hand. "Come on. Let's go."

 **-An** old woman tended to a grave, carefully cleaning off the headstone. "I couldn't find the right flowers this time. I didn't think you'd mind too much, though." The small, potted marigolds waved nearby. She sat back.

Something pinged through her mind. She winced. "What was—?" She placed a hand to the ground and activated her circuits.

Through the ever-shifting kaleidoscope, the world writhed.

She pulled away. "Oh, no. This isn't good. Who could have pissed off Gaia this much?" She frowned and narrowed her eyes. "No, wait. That's not Gaia. It's…Alaya?"

* * *

 _You know how I said I'd do that Awakening world building this chapter? Things did not go entirely as planned. It'll probably show up next chapter, either with the characters or in an author's note. Anyway, review responses:_

 **DPSS:** Hmm, I wonder~

 **idea . getthe:** Yeah, I was kind of figuring. And the girl in the trench coat is Xion; not really a spoiler, but not something I was going to flat-out state in story just yet.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover** : Yes, they did! Xion's appearance I think surprised several people. Yeah, I don't think Sora's really going to be satisfied with those answers. At all.

 **brave kid:** Thanks!

 **Sceonn:** I'm kind of going with the assumption that the Keyblade affected them in place of Avalon. (Plus, it'd feel kind of weird to write a version of Shirou without the whole 'sword' thing going for him.)

 **Mythfan:** Thanks!

 **Parks98:** Thanks! Yeah, the size I imagined it at was somewhere around Darkside/Twilight Thorn size. I figured it'd be appropriate to have Shirou fight a giant monster, since his predecessors did, as well. Yeah, it was! Glad you caught that. Ah, yes, Fate verse dragons…suffice to say, none of this specific beasties will be appearing. Only Heartless and similar ilk. (Well, maybe. Unless I find a reason to include a Servant related to dragons…) For power…kind of hard to detail just in general terms. For the best answer, I think, the Keybladers could take on weaker servants under the right circumstances (such as using physical force with a Caster, a la Rin), but for the most part are considered just rather powerful humans. Both Bazett and Kirei in his prime would give them a hard time as far as physical fights go, and Ilya's magical capacity is beyond that of even a Keyblader's, so there's that, but they're also stronger than most other Fate verse humans. (Sora is actually one of the strongest humans in existence _in theory_ ; due to his direct connection to the hearts of the worlds, he could theoretically implore the world to help him fight, and basically have the environment turn on an individual. In practice, however, it doesn't work so well, since it takes a lot of time and convincing to actually get a world to listen to you.)

 **ultima-owner:** Yep. Those things he's probably going to be facing a lot down the road.

 **Gold2King:** Haha, thanks.

 **animesguardianangel:** Yeah, that was Xion. The dragon was actually chosen for a few reasons: one is because of the whole 'knight slaying dragon' idea, the other because of the hellfire connection that can still be drawn to western dragons, which would reflect what Shirou went through. Haha, I actually played with the same set Shirou did. (Resulted because I started a new game at my friend's at one point, and had them basically chose what to use for me, and it stuck.) And thanks!

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Thanks! And don't worry; school work comes first.

 _Let me know what you thought of the chapter!_


	8. Family

_So about this chapter…it was originally going to be longer. However, you know how I said I'm a college senior? Things came up, so I was stressing about that for a while, and ended up leaving the chapter where it ended._

… _Anyway. Thank you Darkjaden, animesguardianangel, chaosoulg, blackfirekingkoncor, Gold2King, Parks98, brave kid, ultima-owner, DPSS, idea . getthe, Kiri Kaitou Clover, and Mythfan for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eight: Family**

Sora hesitated, his hand half-raised, in front of the house.

Shirou asked, "Are we going in?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's just been a while." He smiled, but he knew, even without seeing it, how unconvincing it must have looked. He took a deep breath and knocked.

Footsteps pattered hurriedly inside. "Just a moment!" a muffled voice called. The door swung open. A woman—brown hair graying, lines around jovial blue eyes, her skirt flaring around her legs—stared, eyes widening.

Sora said, "Hey, Mom."

She hugged him.

He gasped, forgetting how painful his mother's hugs could be.

She released him and stepped back. "You need a bath. And a shave."

"What, that's the first thing you say?"

She smiled. "Your father's to town. I'm sure he'll be excited when he sees you." Her gaze flicked to his side. "Are you what brought him back?"

Shirou watched her.

"This is Shirou. He's my apprentice."

Sora's mother knelt. "It's nice to meet you, Shirou. I'm Sora's mother, but you can call me Grace."

Shirou nodded.

"I thought you guys would like to meet him. We might be stopping by more frequently."

Grace looked up, her eyes glistening. She stood. "Well! We can't just let you stand out there. Come in, come in!" She ushered the two inside. "You can use your old room, Sora. Are you hungry?"

Sora laughed. "I'm fine, Mom. I'll take a shower or something. Shirou might want something, though." He turned and hurried up the steps.

The shower gave him time to think. He sighed, warm water running down his back, and leaned against the wall.

He didn't know how to train an apprentice, much less one as young as Shirou. He didn't even know where to _start_ , really. He'd been thrown into wielding the Keyblade without any sort of preparation; everything he'd learned had been through a trial by fire. He'd been older than Shirou, too, so he had a better mental and emotional capacity to handle some of the things that had happened to him.

 _Shirou's been through a lot already,_ a quiet voice reminded him.

 _That doesn't mean he has to go through more,_ he retorted, scrubbing his hair.

He supposed he could just keep sparring with him, but he worried the boy would eventually grow tired of it. Magic was the next step, he guessed; maybe he'd start trying to teach that when they returned to the Play Island. _I could ask Riku,_ he considered. His friend was already here, and had experience with training a very young apprentice. _It probably couldn't hurt if I asked for a few pointers. Right?_

He sighed, turned off the water, and toweled himself down. He re-dressed and left the bathroom.

Grace and Shirou sat at the table. Grace chatted amicably, while Shirou listened, a glass of orange juice relatively untouched beside him.

Sora said, "Hey."

Grace turned. "Oh, Sora! I was just telling Shirou about some of the things you did as a kid! Like that time when you and Tidus tried playing volleyball with a coconut—"

 _"Mom."_

Grace laughed. "Well, sit down! I want to hear about everything that's happened since I last saw you."

 **-Shirou** had listened quietly to Grace's stories. The woman had spoken in a friendly manner, rambling about Sora's exploits as a child, but hadn't touched on the life in his teen years. He hadn't asked about it, but sadness pulled the woman's eyes, and he absently wondered what had happened to put it there.

Sora sat. "Well, not much happened. I mean, for the most part I traveled to familiar places."

"That's alright. I don't mind hearing again."

Sora scratched his head, then started speaking, talking about the different places he'd visited, the different people he'd met. Someplace with a huge jungle and treehouses; a town with a talking skeleton and many strange creatures; a world with animals instead of people. The strange places seemed as unreal as the Keyblade did.

"The world I found Shirou on was new, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It seemed hostile, for some reason. And there were no Heartless."

Shirou frowned.

"I can't see 'no Heartless' as being something bad."

"No. Just strange."

The door opened. Someone called, "Grace, I'm—Sora?"

Sora grinned. "Hey, Dad."

His father swept him into a bear hug.

"Ah—hey, you're letting Mom beat you. I can breathe."

His father set him down. "What's the occasion?"

"I have an apprentice. This is Shirou."

Shirou extended a hand.

Sora's dad chuckled and accepted the handshake. "Nice to meet you, kid. Keep my son in line, alright?"

Shirou wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he kept the thought in the back of his mind.

The family talked around the table and ate dinner. Shirou mostly observed, only occasionally answering when prodded by Sora. When they finished, Grace insisted, "Why don't you two stay here for the night?"

Sora hesitated and chewed his lip. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

Sora didn't answer immediately, his expression pensive a few moments longer. Then he flashed a bright smile. "Thanks. Shirou, you can use my old room, okay?"

Shirou nodded, and Sora led the way.

The room had been carefully maintained, it seemed. No dust remained on the desk. The bed had been made. Everything had its place, from the model ships lined on a shelf to the fishing net holding toys. Despite this, the room seemed empty, unused.

Sora said, "Well, I guess I'll leave showing you around the island until tomorrow. Then we can get back to training." He turned.

"Sora."

"Hm?"

"What's a family?"

"Eh?"

Shirou blinked.

Sora's expression fell. He closed his eyes. "You're not even sad, are you?"

"No."

This seemed to make Sora sadder for some reason he couldn't understand. "A family is—well, it's like a really tight-knit group of individuals. Usually you're related to them, but you can have family beyond blood, too. Like, my Mom and Dad are family by blood, but Riku's kind of like family outside of it. They're people who have your back, and who you watch over, too."

"Oh."

Sora rubbed his head. "This is all new to you, isn't it? That fire really wiped everything."

"I guess."

Sora watched him a long moment, then sighed and turned. "Night, Shirou."

 **-Sora** sat on the porch. The moon glowed brightly overhead, the stars clustered closely. A warm island breeze stirred his clothes and hair.

The door creaked open. "Star gazing?"

"Mm. I missed it here."

"You could stop by more often. You might not miss it so much. Might even get sick of it." Grace sat beside him.

Sora smiled. The smile mellowed slowly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How do I—?" He laughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek. "This is weird."

"Can't be stranger than telling your mother you wield a giant key."

"How—what am I supposed to do with Shirou? It's not just the training. I'm technically his guardian, but I don't know how to raise a kid. And even if we don't go anywhere dangerous for a while, danger will find him, sooner or later."

He didn't turn, but he knew his mother was looking at him. "You weren't here when Riku first apprenticed Emi. He came back really soon after that, too, you know. The poor boy was nearly panicking. Oh, he tried to hide it, but his mother told me later that he'd spent several hours pacing and ranting and nearly tearing his hair out when he thought no one was watching. Said it drove her crazy." She paused. "I think the biggest thing he feared was himself. How could someone who had once given in to darkness take care of and train a five-year-old?" She sighed. "The best advice I can give you about Shirou is the same that Riku's mother gave him about Emi: you know what _didn't_ work for you, what you wished you'd had, and what you were grateful for. Use that." She leaned back. "To be honest, I don't know if we're ever truly ready for some things. You just have to jump in. You might find out it's not as scary as you thought."

Sora hummed thoughtfully.

"I know you haven't told me everything, Sora. Not about your recent journeys, not about what happened ten years ago, or even before that."

He winced. "H-hey, reading people's supposed to be _my_ job."

"You're my son. I can read you just fine without magic." She stood. "You're grown now, and I trust you to make your own judgement. But you don't have to keep running from what happened, whatever it is. You have somewhere to come back to."

He wondered, not for the first time, what his mother had felt when she realized he wasn't in his room that stormy night, and what she and his father had thought when he'd been missing. He wondered what his life would have been like if he'd never wielded the Keyblade, and gone on to live a normal life on Destiny Islands. "I know. Thanks."

Grace went back into the house.

Sora remained outside a few moments longer, then returned. He checked Shirou.

The boy shifted and turned, expression morphing.

He shook him. "Hey. Shirou."

Shirou stilled. Blurred amber eyes opened.

"Nightmare?"

Shirou blinked, then nodded.

"Heh, where's a Dream Eater when you need one?" He thought of his mother, who had often come to sit with him when he'd had a nightmare. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Shirou shook his head, eyes already drooping again.

 _Maybe it's not too bad._ "We'll start training again tomorrow." He left and curled up on the couch.

 **-"Alright,"** Sora began, "I think the next thing I should teach you is magic."

He and Shirou stood on the Main Island's beach. The waves roared near them. A few kids had gathered, peering from behind bushes closer to town.

"Like how you released the other orphans?"

"Kind of. Hmm." He folded his arms, considering.

"Is it related to an Awakening?"

"Eh? Wait, did you hear that from Emi?"

Shirou stared.

"Well, kind of. An Awakening's a bit different, though. It's designed to shape what your abilities as a Keyblader will take. There are three aspects to the Keyblade: offense, defense, and magic. What you choose in your Awakening determines if you're better at physical, blade-related techniques, defensive techniques and magic, or magic in general. What you give up determines what you'll struggle with." He hesitated. "An Awakening's also designed to force you to face your biggest fears and insecurities, to test if your heart will remain strong under pressure."

Shirou nodded.

Sora eyed him. _Did he go through one?_ He pushed the thought aside for the moment. "Anyway, magic." He summoned the Kingdom Key. "So, um. To do a spell, you need to focus on it. Kind of like you do when you summon the Keyblade."

Shirou summoned Vir.

"Right. To actually use it, you need to use a spell. So if I wanted to cast a fireball, I'd say 'Fire.'" He lifted the Kingdom Key. The familiar magical energy pulsed around his heart, and he touched it. "Fire." A small fireball flew from the tip. It collided with sand and dissipated. "Now you try."

Shirou mimicked Sora and lifted Vir. "Fire."

They waited a few moments. No flame appeared.

Shirou furrowed his eyebrows. "Fire."

Nothing happened.

Shirou lowered Vir and glanced at Sora.

Sora frowned. He tried to think back to how he'd learned magic, but Donald hadn't been the most orthodox teacher. "Oh! Right. There's this magical energy you have to tap into. It's usually not too hard for a Keyblader. It's centered around the heart." Sora circled the area on his chest. "Well, the metaphysical heart, not the physical one, but it shares the same area."

"How?"

"Just, ah, reach for it. Imagine there's this glowing spot in your chest, and you're stretching a hand from your brain to grab it." He scratched his cheek. "That sounded a lot better in my head."

Shirou closed his eyes again. His eyebrows furrowed, and he pointed Vir. "Fire."

Sora scratched his head when nothing happened. "This could be difficult."

Shirou winced.

"Hmm? Something wrong?"

"No." Shirou frowned, eyes narrowed. "Something happened when I touched the magic."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. It went away."

"O-oh." Sora hesitated. "Let's just keep working. Maybe we can get a fire spell out soon."

* * *

 _Well, that's it, then. Review responses:_

 **Darkjaden:** Mmm, sort of. You'll see.

 **animesguardianangel:** You'll have to wait and see about her. Ah, admittedly I don't know a lot about Tsukihime, so I don't actually know what Arcuied's Marble Phantasm does.

 **chaosoulg:** Yeah, Sora vs. Kirei was…kind of interesting to try and decide how to handle. You do bring up some good points, but, at least at the time, the way it was handled was the best idea I could come up with, though based on responses I certainly could have handled it better. I'd actually forgotten magecraft and magic were different things in the Nasuverse, so thank you for reminding me! I went back and fixed that in the chapter. Purge doing that sort of damage is based largely on the fact that, after Fate/Zero, Kirei's heart is made up of curses. Purge is a spell that focuses more on removing things that would cause internal harm than doing actual damage, and it registered 'curses' as being harmful, even if they're keeping Kirei alive. (Sora only really thought to use this because he could sense that something was odd about Kirei's heart.) Salvation actually had no relation to that, though; it's simply a powerful magic attack. I've actually been anticipating someone commenting about Shirou not seeming quite as he should be, and you're right; he's not quite the level of broken he should be. Part of the problem is that I'm trying to get used to writing a completely broken _child_ instead of an adult, and one who shares the point-of-view, so this is a bit different for me to work with. I tried to address this a little bit in this chapter, and will hopefully be able to address it more in later chapters. Can't say much as far as Alaya goes, since that's going to go into spoiler territory, but it has a little less to do with Shirou specifically and more to do with Sora. And thank you; I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Awesome! You'll have to wait and see why Sora's acting so distant, though.

 **Gold2King:** They probably wouldn't get along. And that would certainly be interesting.

 **Parks98:** Ah, but whose memories was he looking for? (For the record, this part _was_ supposed to seem a little strange, because the characters aren't taking the audience's lack of knowledge into regard when speaking to each other.) It'd certainly be interesting to see Roxas teach Shirou—I imagine they'd be able to bond in a strange way. Yes, Lea is still very much a pyro, and I had to give him an apprentice that matched! Aqua's mostly shocked because, to this point, no world has been actively hostile to the Keybladers—as in the heart of the world itself being hostile, not the inhabitants. Since Keybladers are supposed to defend the worlds from Heartless and other threats, it's going to be a problem if a world is actively against them. Haha, yes. Yes they did. Watching their reactions to Shirou sprouting swords would be…very interesting…

 **brave kid:** Thanks!

 **ultima-owner:** Haha, yes he will.

 **DPSS:** Well, he certainly managed to make Alaya upset.

 **idea . getthe:** Yeah, that could certainly be terrifying.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Probably both.

 **Mythfan:** I don't think that was ever directly stated? I know it's a popular fan theory that Shirou's element and origin arose after the fire because of Avalon's presence, so that's kind of what I went off of.

 _Anything you liked/disliked? Feel free to review and let me know!_


	9. Training

_Alright, here's the next chapter. Thank you Mythfan, Parks98, DPSS, Gold2King, ultima-owner, idea . getthe, blackfirekingkoncor, ZidanReign, animesguardianangel, uknounx, and swiftrabbit for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Nine: Training**

Sora checked Riku's Gummi ship first, then, when not finding him, went to his parents' house.

His father—a light-haired, lanky man—answered. "Well. I'd heard you'd come back, but I didn't actually think you'd stop and visit."

"I'm actually looking for Riku."

"Heh. Like old times. He's out back with Emi." He moved aside.

"Thanks." Sora passed him and hurried through the house and out the back door.

Riku stood in the garden. A makeshift dummy had been made from a bed sheet, grass, and sticks. Emi held her Keyblade with both hands; the weapon was slim, but long, and shook in her grip. She muttered something Sora didn't catch, and a small ball of dark fire shot from her Keyblade's tip. She stumbled backwards and fell. The fireball glanced the dummy's arm. Small dark embers dissipated.

"Nice job," Riku said.

Emi nodded and stood, playing with her shirt.

Sora called, "I didn't know you were working on Dark Firaga!"

Emi jumped.

Riku replied, "Actually, that's Dark Fira. We had to experiment and downgrade until she got the hang of it." He searched him. His heart echoed a faint question and a faint hope.

Emi tilted her head. "Are you here to train with us?"

Sora shook his head. "I just, ah, wondered if Riku had any stories about your early training days."

Riku asked, "You have no idea how to train Shirou, do you?"

"Ahaha. What makes you say that?"

"Come on, Sora. You've never been _that_ crafty."

Sora waved his hands. "Alright, alright. So any ideas?"

"It'd help if I knew what you'd already done. Where's Shirou?"

"He's at my parents' house, for now. We'll be heading back to the Play Island tomorrow morning, but I thought I'd give him time to rest."

Riku eyed him.

"Anyway, he's having trouble with magic."

"As in?"

"We haven't actually gotten a successful spell yet. I explained how magic works and I think he got the idea, but…nothing." Sora shrugged.

Riku frowned and cupped his chin. "Why don't you bring him here and let him train with Emi for the day? She's good at magic, so maybe watching her would help him. And since she's _not_ good with sword-play, it might be good to work with someone closer to her level."

Sora considered the offer.

"Come on. _You're_ the one who came for help."

Sora chuckled and scratched his head. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get him."

 **-Shirou** swung Vir. The weapon cut an arc through the air and hit the ground, sticking. He panted, resting against the Keyblade, sweat running down his face. A cool island breeze stirred the grass and trees. Shirou wiped his forehead, then tugged Vir free, stumbling.

"Shirou?" Grace called. "Are you still out there?"

Shirou nodded, too tired to call a response.

Grace appeared. "Why don't you take a break? You don't have to practice all the time, you know."

"What would I do?"

"You could play. Sora has plenty of old toys in his room."

"Play?"

Grace suddenly seemed embarrassed. "I could never convince myself to let go of them. After he left home that first night, he didn't have much time left to visit, so they were kind of like a keepsake."

Something pinged in the back of Shirou's mind. His vision flickered, momentarily.

"Is something wrong?"

Shirou shook his head. "I'm going to keep training."

Grace sighed. "You'll run yourself ragged."

Shirou lifted Vir. His arms shook, but he swung, then nearly collapsed.

Sora's voice drifted towards them. "Hey, Shi—there you are. Were you practicing?"

Shirou nodded.

Sora scratched his head, then exchanged looks with Grace. "We're going to train with Riku and Emi for a little bit. Hopefully we can figure out why you're having trouble with magic."

Shirou dismissed Vir and followed Sora.

Despite Sora's promises, Shirou had actually seen very little of the Main Island so far. He hadn't had any particular desire to explore, and Sora had seemed more concerned with deciding how to teach him magic, and so he only knew the road between Sora's house and the beach. The house itself stood, like several others, along the main road, a small yard behind it. Now Sora led him along that road, past several houses and a few small shops. Palm trees crowded close at one point, behind short wooden fences. A few children raced past, tossing a ball. Shirou rubbed his arms.

Sora glanced at him. "We don't have to train if you're tired."

Shirou shook his head. "I'm fine."

Sora didn't look convinced, but didn't press. He crossed the street to a simple, one-story house and knocked. "It's Sora again."

Riku answered. He wordlessly turned and led them out the back door.

Emi sat in the dirt. She stood quickly, wiping grass off her pants.

Riku said, "Shirou, summon your Keyblade."

Shirou extended a hand. Vir materialized. His arm shook.

"You and Emi are going to practice magic together. We'll watch and see how you guys do."

Shirou glanced at Sora.

Sora nodded.

Shirou turned.

Emi summoned her Keyblade—a long, slender weapon, silver and black, with crescent moon-shaped teeth and a guard that resembled woven vines. She pointed her Keyblade and mumbled, "Dark Fira." A small, purple-and-black fireball shot from her Keyblade and collided with a practice dummy. It ignited.

Riku ordered, "Blizzard." Ice crystals shot and melted, extinguishing the flames.

Shirou frowned. He lifted Vir with both hands and 'reached' for the magic, like Sora had told him. He allowed the image of a hand, reaching from his brain to his chest, to fill his mind. Faintly he sensed a dull, unwilling, shifting force, swimming around his heart. He caught it and tugged. "Fire." He lost grip of the force. Nothing materialized.

"Emi," Riku said, "why don't you tell Shirou what you do when you practice magic?"

"Ah! Um, a clear my head. I don't think about anything but the magic." She turned red. "I try to, anyway."

Shirou nodded, though privately he admitted he hadn't been thinking of anything besides magic before. He tried again, breathing out slowly, and stretched the metaphysical hand towards his heart. Nothing filtered through his mind; his ears buzzed, a faint thumping audible beneath. He latched onto the magic and opened his eyes. "Fi—" He stopped. The world shifted a moment.

Sora asked, "Shirou?"

Shirou shook his head. "Fire." But he knew it wouldn't work; he'd already lost hold of the magic.

"Maybe you should rest. You've been working a lot, you know."

Shirou frowned.

"I have an idea," Riku said. "We could tell you about Keyblade lore. It's like you're still training."

Emi's eyes widened, and she nodded, fervently.

Shirou considered, then nodded.

Sora took a step back, forfeiting the stage to Riku.

The silver-haired man glanced backwards. "Emi, you already know this, but what about you, Shirou? Have you ever heard about the Keyblade's legend?"

Shirou shook his head.

Riku extended his hand a summoned a Keyblade, red-and-dark blue, a long, bat-like wing for the blade, a feathered wing for the teeth. "The Keyblade is a weapon that's supposed to be able to cause untold destruction or to save the world. The ones we wield are man-mad manifestations of a Keyblade wielder's heart. Only those with strong hearts are able to wield the Keyblade.

"Once, a long time ago, many Keybladers all fought for the possession of the ultimate key. The X-blade, the key to Kingdom Hearts. The Heart of all Worlds."

Sora looked away.

"Their battle brought destruction to all the worlds, and cast them into darkness."

Emi interrupted, "But they were saved, right? By the light?"  
Riku nodded. "The story is mostly true, but I think it's more of a warning. After all, even and evil person can have a powerful heart."

 **-The** sun fell when the four finally decided to take a break. They'd spent a significant amount of time telling stories, eventually falling back on embarrassing stories from Sora and Riku's childhood, where the two tried their best to humiliate the other. After a point Shirou and Emi sparred; Shirou, despite being inexperienced, faired relatively well against Emi's awkward, clumsy movements, but both were tired before long.

Sora led the way to an ice cream shop afterwards. An orange glow painted the sky and tinted the island. Stores stood in a circle here, a large palm tree in the center. People still milled about, talking or playing, relaxing. Sora had forgotten how peaceful things could be.

He went to the counter. "Hey, what do you guys want?"

Shirou blinked, then shrugged.

Emi said, "Chocolate. Please."

Riku shrugged. "Vanilla's fine, I guess."

"Okay. Um." He glanced at Shirou. "Two chocolate, one vanilla, and a sea-salt."

The shopkeeper said, "Okay, coming right up."

Sora handed him the money when he returned and distributed the ice cream. He licked the light-blue bar and sat, leaning, on the bench.

Shirou sat beside him. He experimentally licked the ice cream, then blinked, eyes widening slightly.

"Good, right?"

"Cold."

Sora laughed. "Well, yeah. That's why it's called _ice_ cream."

He took another lick, eyes scrunched.

Emi stood nearby, looking like she wanted to sit, but not doing so because Riku hadn't sat.

Sora laughed again, quieter.

Some kids tossed a ball back and forth, tugging their parents forward, and he momentarily imagined he, Riku, and Kairi were in their places. He and Riku were sparring, gnarled sticks clashing, and Kairi followed, laughing, cheering them on.

Riku asked, "Do you ever miss it?"

Sora shrugged, smiling sadly.

They finished their ice cream, and Sora stood. "We'd probably better head back."

Riku narrowed his eyes, and even though he knew the other man couldn't discern the reason for his distance, Riku would know he meant 'back to the Play Island' and not 'back home.' "Come on, Emi," Riku said, walking away slowly, sounding tired.

Emi waved and followed.

Sora asked, "You ready?"

Shirou nodded and stood.

The two moved, quietly, through the streets. Sora's gaze slid sideways. _Did I take away your chance at that? Of living like a normal kid?_ He pushed the thought aside and refused to dwell on it. Instead he asked, "Hey, you know when you asked about Awakenings? Did you have one?"

"Yeah."

"What did you pick, and what did you throw away?"

Shirou frowned.

"There should've been three weapons to choose from in the beginning."

"I threw away the staff."

Sora cupped his chin thoughtfully. "That explains why you're having trouble with magic, then. You basically threw away the 'magic' portion of being a Keyblader, which will make it harder to learn."

"Is that bad?"  
"No. But it's weird. Usually even people not inclined to magic can use basic spells. Not that it's a problem if you can't! Though maybe I should worry about teaching you 'cure' instead." He scratched a cheek. "A-anyway. What did you choose?"

"I didn't."

It took a moment for the answer to sink in. "What?"

"A voice told me I didn't have a choice."

Sora stopped. "But that doesn't—"

"Actually," Shirou said, voice quiet, "just after the fire, I had a dream in the same place. There was a sword, and the voice told me to take it. Does that mean I chose it?"

Sora blinked, mind turning. "Y-yeah."

Shirou nodded.

The two continued.

Sora frowned, turning Shirou's words over and over again, until they reached the beach. Sora found the boats, still stored in the small boat house, and smiled to see his, still maintained, stashed in the back. _Did Dad do this?_ He shook his head, then dragged the boat and some oars out to the beach. He pushed the boat into the water near the dock and climbed inside, helping Shirou.

He rowed, oars cutting through orange water, golden trails dripping down the blades.

Shirou stared, eyes pensive, expression serious but almost blank.

Sora stopped rowing.

"Why'd we stop?"

"Just wait."

Shirou frowned.

Sora glanced at the darkening sky. Shirou's earlier words and actions tugged the back of his mind. "Hey, Shirou. What do you want to do?"

Shirou frowned.

"Like, not just 'go to sleep' or whatever's in the immediate future."

Shirou looked at him, then shrugged. "What do _you_ want me to do?"

"Eh? I guess I'd like to see you become a good Keyblader. But, more than that…" He trailed off, unsure how to express his desire that he wanted Shirou to live like a 'normal kid,' especially knowing that that probably wouldn't be possible. "Never mind."

Shirou frowned.

"Hey, don't give me that look. I just wanted to know." He splashed the boy.

Shirou flinched away.

Sora smiled ruefully and leaned back.

The boat rocked. The water slowly faded from orange to blue-black.

"Sora," Shirou began, "it's getting dark."

"I know. That's what we're waiting for. Look." He pointed to the first star.

Shirou tilted his head.

More stars appeared, slowly, winking in the vast black sky.

Sora said, "Now look at the water."

Shirou turned, and blinked. The stars speckled the still water, reflected and glowing, surrounding them.

Sora trailed a hand through the water, disturbing it, a few flickering points reflecting off the darkness. "Pretty cool, huh? When I was little my dad sometimes took me out at night. I almost overturned the boat once."

Shirou didn't say anything, but his eyes had widened, starlight reflected in them.

"I guess you're probably pretty tired, right? We'll head to shore." He lifted the oars and rowed.

 **-Aqua** browsed the library. Currently she stood on a ladder, checking titles near the top of a bookcase. One spine read, 'The Worlds and Their Inhabitants.' She dragged the large tome free and slid down the ladder, placing the book with the others. She sighed, then sat down, and began reading.

The process of searching had, for the most part, been slow. She'd secluded herself to the library for several days, justifying it by the fact that nothing particularly alarming had happened recently, and spent most of her time searching for books and reading through them. She had a list beside her, with scribbled possibilities of why a world might be hostile: corrupted by the Heartless/another source, stolen memories, accidentally offending a more sentient world, sensing intent to harm. Some worlds didn't take well to too much disruption to their daily life from outsiders. The latter three, she knew, only applied to a small selection of worlds. She wouldn't discard them, but she thought one of the first two options was more likely, and of them, the most likely was the first. With what Sora's report had said, it seemed the most likely answer was that the world had been corrupted, somehow.

And yet.

Aqua rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the blurriness. Sora hadn't been able to connect to the world's heart at all. It made her suspicious that, maybe, this _was_ one of those more sentient worlds, but as for what would offend the world, she couldn't fathom.

Which is why she still sat in the library, pouring over old books and getting nowhere.

She almost missed the heading. She stopped a re-read the words: 'Sentient Worlds.'

 _All worlds have a heart of their own. However, most worlds' hearts are not like our own. They don't feel emotions, but rather faint sensations, an other-worldly awareness of what is best for the world and its inhabitants, and the desire for self-preservation. Their hearts also function to store a world's 'memories,' or all that has happened, all that could have happened, and all that could be. (For more on memories, see chapter 6, section 3.)_

 _There are the rare few worlds that have hearts very similar to ours. They have a higher consciousness, and are more active in their preservation and handling than most worlds. Their desires and thoughts are still foreign in some ways, in that the normal desire of the world—to protect itself and its inhabitants—is compounded by the influx of human emotion and thought. Thus, these worlds are less likely to be corrupted by outside forces, and more likely to be corrupted by themselves. These worlds will often take any precaution they believe necessary to protect against the foreign corruption and danger. Handle these worlds with caution._

Aqua leaned back. She debated her options, then stood and left.

Lea passed her. "Hey! I've been looking for you. I have my report." He waved the papers.

"Put them on my desk. I have somewhere I have to be."

"What, the great Master Aqua's skipping work?"

"No. I'm visiting an old friend on business. Lea, can you stay here a little while? In case anyone comes looking for us."

"Wait, _I'm_ in charge?" He looked away. "Sure, I guess, but what do I tell people if they come looking for you?"

"Tell them I went to Disney Castle."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Mythfan:** Indeed.

 **Parks98:** To be fair, they didn't really have much choice. The training is certainly going to be interesting, to say the least. We'll have to see about what weapons the Final Fantasy characters have, though.

 **DPSS:** Well, you got to see how Sora reacted, at least.

 **Gold2King:** You'll have to wait and see~

 **ultima-owner:** Haha, yep, though his Awakening certainly didn't help.

 **idea . getthe:** The Nasuverse _will_ be more involved, it's just that, since they aren't on Gaia at the moment, most of it's in the background. There'll probably be a part earlier in the story where they return briefly, and then in the second half the group will be more involved in the Nasuverse side of things.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Haha, did not expect to see Final Fantasy IV in the reviews. (Love that game.) As for the fire spells, well, he's going to have some trouble with _most_ spells here.

 **ZidanReign:** Whoops. Yeah, checked that, and thanks!

 **animesguardianangel:** I'll give you that yes, she's a canon character. I'll leave you to guess who. And that description sounds very familiar…I'm guessing I probably ran across it while looking at things, and just forgot? Anyway, thanks.

 **uknounx:** It's certainly an interesting combination. I hope you enjoy!

 **swiftrabbit:** Thanks! It was actually something I started doing back when I first joined FanFiction, and the site started taking out my original line breaks. I'm glad you like it!

 _Any comments or criticisms? Feel free to drop a review!_


	10. Magic and Journeys

_Here's chapter ten. Thank you Gold2King, a guest, DPSS, ultima-owner, animesguardianangel, blackfirekingkoncor, Gashadokuro Amanojaku, and Great fan-M for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ten: Magic and Journeys**

 _Shirou looked around. Smoke streamed from the ruins. No flames licked the buildings now, but burns lined his face and arms._

 _He moved._

 _Something crunched beneath his foot._

 _He paused._

 _A hand, half-disintegrated, lay where he'd stepped._

 _He stared, uncomprehending, and suddenly the ground was no longer filled with rubble but body parts, charred and smoking. Faces gaped, eyes bulging, mouths hanging; legs and arms draped over distorted bodies._

 _Heat traveled up his legs, his stomach, his chest. He couldn't breathe. The heat clogged his throat. A sickly, ashen sent plugged his nose._

He awoke, sweating, not breathing. He forced his lungs to work, slowly drawing air in and out. The heat slowly seeped from his arms. He felt around, hands running over the hard Gummi ship floor and not over broken bodies. Sora's quiet breathing echoed off the walls.

Shirou stood and left the ship. He summoned Vir and swung, the weapon still too heavy, dragging his arms to the side.

 _I should have died with them._

The thought came, detached, strange, an odd statement of a perceived truth. What purpose did him surviving serve? What made him more worthy than any others?

 _"I guess I'd like to see you become a good Keyblader."_

Shirou's hand clutched Vir a little tighter. He continued to swing the heavy weapon, body protesting but ignored. Yes, he decided. He would focus on becoming a good Keyblader, like Sora asked. After all, he owed everything to Sora for saving him. Surely the only way he could atone would be to dedicate everything he had to his master's wish.

 **-"Parry!"** Sora called, swinging.

Shirou's blade flashed to block.

Sora slipped beneath it and hit Shirou's side. "Not fast enough."

Shirou scowled.

Sora laughed. "Come on, why don't we go one more time? I'm sure you'll get me eventually."

Shirou nodded. Sweat beaded down his forehead, but he clutched Vir with both hands and crouched.

Sora lifted the Kingdom Key. "Go!" He swung overhead.

Shirou lifted Vir and braced with both hands, blocking.

"Good. But," Sora swept the Kingdom Key around, "not enough."

Shirou fell and scrambled to his feet. He lunged, swinging.

Sora blocked. The two remained locked a few moments. Sora grinned. "Nice try." He disengaged and jabbed Shirou's chest.

The boy tumbled backwards. He looked up from the sand.

Sora dismissed the Kingdom Key. "Let's take a break."

The two moved to the pool by the Secret Place. Sora cupped a mouthful of water, then ran some over his face.

"Sora," Shirou said, "when are we going to work on magic again?"

Sora hesitated. Three days had passed since they'd returned to the Play Island, and he hadn't touched the subject since. "Ah, maybe later."

"Is using magic important to being a good Keyblader?"

"Um, I guess? It's associated with it, at least."

Shirou nodded.

"Hey!" Riku shouted. He and Emi had docked. "Why don't you two drink like normal people?"

Emi scrambled from the boat, grinning as she watched a seagull, then turning red and trying to pretend as if she hadn't noticed.

Sora grinned awkwardly and waved. "You know," he said, "you don't have to come over _every_ day."

"Well, you are kind of a hopeless case." He folded his arms, and his narrowed eyes asked a question: _Will you give me a reason to leave?_

And no, Sora knew, he couldn't do that, but Riku's continued presence made him nervous. "Shirou, why don't you and Emi go play? You could race or something."

Shirou nodded and left.

The girl, still red, glanced at Riku uncertainly.

Riku motioned.

Emi relaxed, and the two children moved to the beach, Emi absently trailing through the waves, Shirou following and watching.

Riku waved a letter. "This came for you."

Sora's reservations were gone in an instant. He took the letter. His name scrawled across the back in familiar cursive font. "How did—?"

"Aqua probably let her know."

Sora opened the letter.

"Sheesh. No need to be so eager. I'll keep an eye on the apprentices, and give you two some 'alone' time."

"Hey!" But his eyes were glued to the page:

 _Sora,_

 _It's been a long time, hasn't it? Things in Radiant Garden have been slow. Leon and the others are castle guards now, but you've probably already heard that. Donald and Goofy stopped by. They said things have been going well at Disney Castle, too. Mickey's even been able to go out on some missions! Makes me almost wish I'd completed my training._

 _But trying to rule a world's kept me pretty busy. We've had a few disputes with shopkeepers and inter-world travelers. The Heartless haven't been too much of a problem. What Leon, Yuffie, and Cid's program don't handle, my light magic usually can. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten anything!_

 _Aqua said you had an apprentice. You need to write and tell me all about him! I want to know how training's going. And how you are, too. Maybe you could visit sometime? Radiant Garden's pretty big historically, at least where the Keyblade's concerned._

 _Anyway, I'll have to keep this short. I promise I'll write more later._

 _Kairi._

Just above her name, the word 'love' had been scribbled out.

Sora smiled sadly and re-read the letter, then again. He folded it carefully and placed it in his pocket. His fingers brushed Kairi's charm. She'd allowed him to keep it, years ago, and he hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her he still had it.

"Careful, you two!" Riku shouted.

Emi had climbed part-way up a palm tree, legs kicking. She yelped and fell.

Shirou eyed the tree warily, almost as if expecting it to do the same to him should he try.

Sora sighed. He shifted.

"Sora," Shirou called, "are you done?"

"Yeah." He moved towards them.

 **-Shirou** wasn't the only one to have nightmares. Not that this comforted Sora any.

 _Xehanort faced him. The land around them had been torn away, swirling darkness whipping their clothes. Palm trees and sand stirred._

 _Xehanort spread his arms. "Behold, Keyblade wielder. This is where you fall."_

 _"No way. I'm not some novice anymore."_

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _Suddenly Sora found himself back in his sixteen-year-old body. Darkness crawled up his arms and turned them to claws. He stumbled backwards, trying to summon the Kingdom Key, but the light flickered and died in his hands._

 _Xehanort's form shifted, resembling the version where he'd possessed Terra. He moved towards him. "You can't control your darkness, can you?"_

 _"But—but you're—"_

 _The form shifted again, this time resembling the Puppet Master, featureless mask covering his face, formal clothes rippling around his body, hands clasped behind his back. "What can you do, against opponents like me?"_

 _Darkness swamped his vision. "I'll, I'll fight you! My heart's stronger than yours!"_

 _"Oh? Is it?" The vision shifted, faces of people he knew flashing across the blank mask._

Sora snapped to awareness. He shook and ran a hand over his face. "Shirou." Panic suddenly filled him, and he checked.

The boy lay curled under a blanket, a frown crossing his features.

Sora shook him. "Shirou."

Amber eyes opened slowly.

"You okay?"

Shirou nodded.

"Good. Good." Sora relaxed, then laughed. "Sorry. You can go back to sleep."

Shirou shifted. He pulled the blanket closer. "I'm okay."

Sora's eyes softened. "Hey, I've got an idea."

Shirou raised an eyebrow, then yelped when Sora dragged him into his lap, draping the blanket over both of them. "There. Maybe that'll keep the nightmares away."

Shirou frowned, but didn't move, settling awkwardly against him.

Sora tried to still his shaking, and hoped the boy didn't realize he referred to his own as much as Shirou's.

 **-"Sora,"** Shirou asked, "why are we going into the forest?"

"Change of scenery. Maybe it'll help us with your magic."

Shirou didn't believe him, but didn't argue.

Sora stopped in a clearing. He summoned the Kingdom Key. "Okay. Ready? Let's try a different spell and see if anything happens."

Shirou summoned Vir.

"This time, try the 'Blizzard' command."

Shirou reached for the stubborn magic. "Blizzard." The magic writhed away from him, refusing to cooperate, and nothing materialized at Vir's tip.

Sora crossed his arms and frowned. "Hmm." He paused. "Maybe if we try using it in combat? I mean, that's kind of how I learned."

Shirou tilted his head, but nodded.

Sora lunged. He swept his weapon towards Shirou.

Shirou lifted Vir. "Bliz—"

Sora's Keyblade cut beneath Vir and struck Shirou's side.

Shirou skidded along the ground.

Sora laughed awkwardly. "Ready?"

Shirou nodded.

Sora lunged again.

Shirou parried, then remembered he was supposed to be practicing magic. He lifted Vir and shouted, "Fire!" Through the adrenaline, he half-expected a fireball to fizzle at the tip, or at least that sparks might appear. Instead, something nudged his mind, and he felt, inexplicably, uncertain.

He frowned and stumbled backwards, caught off guard by Sora's strike.

"You okay?"

Shirou nodded. The feeling faded fast, but the memory lingered. Whatever it was, it hadn't felt like it belonged to him, but he didn't know what else he could attribute it to.

Sora worried his lip, then said, "Want to keep going?"

Shirou nodded.

The two continued sparing for a while longer. While no progress had been made on Shirou's magic, he'd gotten slightly better and avoiding Sora's blows.

Sora rubbed his neck. "Well, magic isn't everything."

"It's part of being a Keyblader, though."

"Yeah, but there are a lot of Keybladers who don't focus on magic." More quietly he added, "It's just weird that you can't use any. Maybe I'm teaching you wrong?"

Shirou stopped and stared.

Sora noticed and waved his hands. "Don't worry about it! I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

Shirou eyed him, then nodded, and the two left.

 **-When** they returned, Sora entered the Secret Place. Despite the fact that other kids had basically taken over, the hidden hollow still felt deeply personal, and he felt comfortable and nostalgic inside. He absently chipped a crude drawing into the stone.

Something stirred.

Sora turned, and a chill ran down his neck.

For a moment, he thought he saw the hooded form of Ansem—or Xehanort, or Terra possessed by Xehanort, or whoever he was—watching him. He summoned his Keyblade. "You shouldn't be—no, I'm seeing things. You don't exist anymore."

A long moment passed, in which the air seemed to freeze. Sora remained tense despite his assumptions, Keyblade clenched tightly in one hand, half-raised.

The hooded form tilted his head. "Perhaps I do. In your memories."

Sora stiffened. He'd only heard the voice a couple times before, but he recognized it: it sounded distinctly more like Terra than Ansem. A bead of sweat dribbled down his face.

"Sora?" Shirou called.

"Y-yeah?" He kept a wary eye on the apparition.

"Are we going to train again?"  
He blinked and the hooded figure had disappeared. "I thought you were resting?"

Shirou appeared. "I'm okay." He looked away. "I'm kind of hungry, though." He eyed Sora's Keyblade.

Sora released the Kingdom Key. "Haha, right, right! We'll find food." He steered Shirou out of the cave, all the while casting anxious glances behind him.

 **-Riku** knew Sora had been avoiding him again.

He'd attempted to take Emi back to the Play Island to work with Shirou. He hoped that both apprentices could benefit from it, and that Sora would start re-adjusting to being around other Keybladers. He thought it'd been working.

Then Sora and Shirou disappeared, the only sign they hadn't left entirely the Gummi ship still parked on the sand. A week had passed, and he'd hardly seen them.

Something must have happened. He hadn't seen any sign of Heartless, so that was unlikely. He wondered if Sora still had nightmares; if they were anything like Riku's—or what Riku knew Kairi's and Aqua's to be—then that might be enough to drive him away for a day or two, just to sort things out. But not this long; Sora had always been better at bouncing back than all of them.

Emi tugged his shirt. "I see them."

Sora and Shirou stood on the beach, training.

Riku blinked, momentarily pausing his rowing. He shook his head and shouted, "Hey!"

Sora glanced up and waved, like nothing had happened.

 **-Sora** drummed his fingers. He'd set Kairi's letter in front of him. A second paper sat nearby. Sora shrugged, then started writing.

 _Kairi,_

 _I got your letter. Cool that things are going well._

 _My apprentice is named Shirou. He came from a weird world—I guess Aqua probably told you about it—where he was orphaned. He's doing okay now, though. Well, mostly. He still has nightmares. He's really serious about being a Keyblader. Almost too serious. Haha, funny that I'd be the one training him, right?_

He found that he rambled, the letter going longer than intended, talking about some of the things he'd seen, asking Kairi about business in Radiant Garden, informing her about Riku and Emi, mentioning some of the funny incidents that had happened to him on various worlds. He thought about taping a picture to the letter.

He stopped. _Wow,_ he thought, _I guess I didn't realize how much I missed this._ He paused, then thought about the image he'd seen in the Secret Place. He shook his head, then continued writing: _Anyway, everything's going okay. I know you probably don't believe that, but it really is! I've just been busy._ His next words came with reluctant uncertainty and giddy excitement, rolled into one: _I'll find some time to bring Shirou to meet you. Probably not until he's a little older, but definitely some time. See you._

 _Sora._

He jammed the pages into an envelope.

"What are you writing?" Shirou asked.

Sora jumped, nearly dropped the letter, then caught it, hugging it to his chest. "N-nothing! Just a letter. To a friend."

Riku coughed dryly from outside the Gummi ship.

"Hey!"

"You heard that? Sorry, must have got sand in my mouth."

Emi called, "Is it to Kairi? Are you two dating again?"

Sora turned red, then stuttered, "H-hey, come on, cut it out! I'm just sending a letter. To a friend." He turned and hid his smile. Yeah; he'd definitely forgotten how nice this was.

 **-Riku,** while privately admitting he enjoyed being home, knew he could never hang around for long. His wanderlust always left him itching to move when he'd stayed in one place for an extended period, and Lea had contacted him and said Camelot seemed to be experiencing an influx of Heartless.

He'd asked Lea why _he_ couldn't go, but the fiery Keyblader had responded that he'd been left in charge while Aqua visited Disney Castle.

Riku stopped by the Play Island, Emi in tow.

Sora had obtained a ball somehow—he imagined some kids had stopped by early and left it—and encouraged Shirou to play a strange sort of volleyball with it. He stopped and waved, hesitantly.

"We're leaving tomorrow."

"What, already?" Sora's expression seemed torn between disappointment and relief.

"Yeah. Got a notice about some Heartless."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Shirou watched, his serious expression turning thoughtful.

Riku lifted an eyebrow. "Why don't we get one last day of training in before I leave?"

 **-Shirou** was troubled, he supposed, by his lack of progress with magic.

Not so much for himself. Really, he didn't have a particular frustration towards or against his inability to wield the power. Most of what troubled him was that apparently using magic was something Keybladers were 'supposed' to be able to do. Therefore, in order to be a 'good Keyblader,' he needed to use magic. Moreover, Sora seemed bothered that Shirou couldn't use it, and this in turn bothered Shirou.

When Riku mentioned he and Emi would be leaving the islands, he recalled what Sora had told him: that he'd learned magic by being forced directly into combat. This provided him with an idea.

"Sora, can we go with Riku and Emi?"

"E-eh? Why do you ask?"

"It might help me learn to use magic."

"Ah-hah. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Well, they'll be going on a mission. It's probably still too much for you."

Shirou frowned.

"L-let's just keep working here for a while. Don't need anything happening to you." Something in his voice seemed strange, but Shirou didn't question it.

Shirou hardly slept that night, and rowed to the Main Island the next morning before Sora awoke.

Riku and Emi were entering the Gummi ship.

Shirou leapt from the boat, water splashing his legs, and sprinted towards Emi.

The other apprentice turned. "Shi—"

Shirou lifted a finger to his lips.

Emi glanced hesitantly inside the Gummi ship, then nodded.

"I want to go with you."

"Wh-what?"

"So that I can learn magic."

Emi stared, blinking a few times.

"Sora's worried that I can't use magic. He learned by fighting. If I come with you, I can learn that way, too."

Emi still seemed uncertain. She played with her shirt. "I should tell Riku."

"He might say no."

Emi chewed her lip, fidgeting.

Shirou stared back, unblinking.

"Emi?" Riku called.

"Ah! Coming!" She hesitated, then said, "I can hide you in the back."

Shirou nodded. He followed Emi onto the Gummi ship.

Emi paused, then waved Shirou forward. She dragged him behind the seats.

Riku, focused on the instruments, didn't seem to notice.

Emi looked around, then threw a blanket over Shirou.

"What are you doing?"

"N-nothing!" Rustling noises sounded, then footsteps.

"Buckle in. I'd rather get to Camelot before anything bad happens."

Emi made a noise of consent.

The Gummi ship shook, then lifted. Shirou nearly fell, but managed to right himself. The ship continued to shake for a while, until Shirou had to catch one of the seats and hold himself in place. Eventually the ship steadied.

"Um," Emi began hesitantly, "will we be coming back afterwards?"

Riku sighed heavily. "I don't know. Probably. Aqua wants me to try and convince Sora to come back to the Land of Departure."

"Oh."

Shirou wondered at the strange names and filed them away for later use. He'd ask Sora about them when he returned.

 **-When** Sora awoke, a cold sweat had formed on his forehead. The memory of his nightmare—Kairi staring at him, broken, with Ansem standing over her—faded slowly, and his heartbeat slowed down.

He stood and stretched. "Shirou? You up?" He glanced towards the make-shift bed. The boy wasn't there. Sora frowned, then checked outside. "Shirou?" He traipsed across the beach. Footprints led to the dock, where Sora's row boat had gone missing.

Sora's heart clenched in panic. He remembered Shirou's request from yesterday and sprinted to the Gummi ship. _If I get over there in time, maybe I can catch them before they leave._ He started the ship and hurtled across the water, lower than he perhaps should have been.

His heart sank and a cold, heavy feeling settled in his stomach. Riku's Gummi ship was missing.

He landed roughly and left the ship. _Maybe he went to my parents' house. Please, please be there._

He reached his house, panting, and pounded on the door. "Hey! Is Shirou there? Come on, this isn't funny."

An agonizing eternity passed. Sora shifted from foot to foot, and had about decided to just summon the Kingdom Key and unlock the door himself when a sleepy Grace opened the door. "Sora? What are you doing here at this time?"

"Shirou. Is Shirou there?"

The sleep slowly left Grace's eyes, replaced by worry. She shook her head. "I haven't seen him since you two left."

"Crap. Crap!" He turned, stopped, shouted, "Thanks!" then hurried away again.

 _He went with Riku. Crap. He's not ready for Heartless. He can't use healing magic. Does Riku even know? Crap. What if he—_ An image flashed through his mind of Shirou being attacked and ripped apart by a Neoshadow.

 _This was a bad idea. I should've left him on his home world. He would've been safer there._ A logical part in the back of his mind informed him that no, he very well might not have been, especially if he'd been left alone with that priest, but the emotional, panicking side of his brain took control. _Riku didn't say where they were going, but if he got a mission, I know where to find out._ He took a deep, steadying breath and started the Gummi ship. _Looks like I'm heading back to the Land of Departure, after all._

* * *

 _And end chapter ten. Not sure how I feel about this chapter, to be honest, but at least things are moving forward. And I'm betting everyone can guess what world Riku's heading to. Review responses:_

 **Gold2King:** Haha, I will. Eventually.

 **Guest:** Thanks! Actually, right now Zeltrech's not really trolling any—well, okay, he's not trolling any Kingdom Hearts characters. He's probably trolling someone else. As far as the whole time situation's going to work in this story, I'm going to leave that for the story to explain when we get there. I think I found a way to get the KH and Fate universes time concepts to coincide in some workable way, but it might be different than what you'd expect. And possibly, but there's a very specific type of magic that he's going to excel at, and I'm curious about what people's guesses are towards what it'll be.

 **DPSS:** To be fair, Sora's also seen quite a lot.

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed.

 **animesguardianangel:** Nope, I think Shirou will always have trouble with magic. As for his specialty, I've dropped a few hints but they're not very obvious yet. You'll see soon enough though.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** It's just going to be Kingdom Hearts and Fate series (though obviously with the Kingdom Hearts part, we get Disney and Final Fantasy characters integrated, if you want to count that).

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku:** Perhaps. And I'm going to continue to be vague and say you'll have to wait and see on that one.

 **Great fan-M:** Wait, what? No, I'd never noticed that. That's brilliant.

 _Should be significantly less jumping around next chapter. If you have anything you'd like to say about the chapter, please leave a review!_


	11. Mad Madam Mim

_Here's chapter eleven. Thank you Parks98, Gold2King, Sceonn, ultima-owner, animesguardianangel, blackfirekingkoncor, and reality deviant for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eleven: Mad Madam Mim**

Minnie greeted Aqua the moment she landed on Disney Castle. "Hello, Master Aqua! Are you looking for Mickey?"

"Yeah." Aqua dismissed her glider and armor. "Is he here?"

"Of course. He's in the library right now. He got your message and went there straight away."

"Maybe he's found something that I missed." The two walked through the garden.

"Master Aqua!" a hoarse voice shouted. A second chorused the same exclamation. Donald and Goofy raced towards her.

Aqua stopped and smiled. "Hello, Donald, Goofy! It's been a while."

Goofy said, "It sure has. What have you been up to?"

Donald flashed her a skeptical look. "How's Sora?"

Aqua sighed. "He's—well, he's okay, I think. He has an apprentice now."

Both gave her incredulous looks. Goofy laughed. "Gwarsh, I wish he'd told us!"

Donald sighed and shook his head.

"He's on Destiny Islands training him, if you want to visit." She glanced towards Minnie. "I have to talk to Mickey right now. But I'll see you two later?"

The two straightened and saluted. "Of course!" Donald said.

"We'll be right here!"

Aqua smiled and followed Minnie into the castle.

Minnie said, "You know, I think it's good he has an apprentice. Maybe it'll make him feel better."

"Yeah."

Minnie hesitated before asking, "Aqua, when do _you_ plan on getting an apprentice?"

Aqua touched her Wayfinder, strung around her neck. "I don't know. I still have so much to do."

Minnie looked sad.

"We all lost something to the second Keyblade War and to the Puppet Master. I'm just not ready to have the responsibility of an apprentice yet. Besides, Emi, Melody, and Rai are around the Land of Departure all the time. They're almost like my apprentices."

Minnie nodded, though she still didn't look convince.

"I'll be alright. I'm not in the Realm of Darkness anymore."

Then they'd reached the library, and conversation came to an end. "I'll see you later, Master Aqua," Minnie said, and left.

Aqua opened the library doors.

Mickey stood at a book shelf. One ear flicked. His finger ran over titles.

"Mickey?"

Mickey jumped, then turned. "Aqua!" He raced to embrace her.

Aqua laughed. "How have you been?"

"Good! But, well, your message worried me. So I've been trying to find more about 'sentient worlds.'"

Aqua nodded. They walked to a nearby table. "Have you?"

Mickey shook his head. "There aren't a lot of worlds like that. I think I remember someone studying it once, but I can't find the book now."

"What do you think Sora could have done to offend the world?"

"I don't know. Sora's never had trouble with other worlds before. You said it was corrupted, right?"

"Corrupting itself, I'm guessing. But without Heartless."

Mickey made a contemplative noise.

"That's part of what concerns me. It might mean that the world's inhabitants are just so dark that they're tainting the world."

"Gosh, I don't know. I don't think that an entire group of people could be like that."

"But if it's sentient, it could do it to itself. Maybe thinking it was doing the right thing?"

Mickey nodded. "Such a world would have to believe that Keyblade wielders hurt it more than help it. Or at least, that's what I'd guess."

Aqua paged through some books. "Can we locate where the known worlds are?"

"Wait. Are you going to try and go to all of them?"

"I need to find out what's going on. What better way than visiting?"

"Couldn't Sora tell you?"

"Probably. And I'll probably ask him, if he's still on Destiny Islands. But I want to get experience with what other worlds of this sort are like. Maybe take Sora along, if he's willing. He could communicate with them better."

Mickey nodded. "Okay. But I'm going with you. If we don't know what's going on, then it's better to face it with friends."

"Okay."

The two paged through the books.

 **-Shirou** fell asleep at some point. He awoke when the Gummi ship rocked and he nearly sprawled across the floor. He caught himself, blinking against the heavy darkness beneath the blanket.

The shaking stopped, and the ship jolted upon landing. A metallic creek sounded, followed by footsteps. "Alright," Riku said, "let's see what's going on."

Softer footsteps tapped, then stopped. "Shirou?" Emi whispered.

Shirou peered from beneath the blanket. He slowly removed it.

Emi smiled hesitantly. "Um, are you coming with us?"

Shirou debated, then shook his head. "I'll find you later."

Emi looked uncertain. She whispered, "But there are Heartless."

"Okay." He still only had a vague idea of what those were. "They're what I'm looking for, I guess."

Riku called, "Emi!"

Emi jerked, cast Shirou one last anxious glance, then fled.

Shirou waited a few moments, then hesitantly left the ship.

Forest surrounded him. Riku had landed in the middle of a large clearing. Shirou glanced around, then hurried into the trees. The forest seemed to press in on him, dark and foreboding, long shadows hiding his path. He ran over crackling leaves, the sound oddly loud, and wondered, absently, where he could find the 'Heartless' Emi and Sora had spoken of.

Something shifted in the shadows.

He slowed.

The leaves cracked.

"Hello?"

The shadows moved again.

Shirou summoned Vir.

Nothing else stirred, and Shirou continued. Despite Vir's weight, he felt reluctant to release the weapon.

A ram-shackle house loomed out of the forest.

Shirou stopped. He considered continuing on his way, then hesitated. He released Vir and knocked on the door.

"Oh, who could that be?" a cranky, scratchy female voice asked. The words took on a cheerful tone when she continued, "Maybe it's someone lost in the woods." Footsteps punctuated the words.

The door swung open. A short old woman—pale, unkempt purple hair, green eyes, a purple shirt and pink skirt over pale pink pants—examined him. "Oh, even better. It's a little boy lost in the woods."

Shirou didn't quite know how to respond to that.

"Well? Are you here looking for directions?" Her voice sounded a little too sweet, and her hand on the door twitched.

Shirou shook his head. "I'm looking for Heartless."

"Oh? Why are you so interested in them?"

"You've seen them?"

"Yes, yes." She waved her hands, face scrunching. "They make me look _good_. I hate them!"

"Okay?" Shirou shook his head and focused. "I just need to fight them so I can learn how to use magic."

The woman stopped and eyed him. "Magic?"

"Yes."

The woman laughed. "Do you know who you're speaking to?"

Shirou shook his head. Suddenly he wished he'd reconsidered his decision.

"Why, you're talking to the magnificent, marvelous, Mad Madam Mim!" She twirled and jumped. "I am the most powerful magician ever known."

"Really?"

"Mmm, yes. With just a touch, I can make the grass wither." She tapped the grass, and it shriveled, the green curling to brown, dead strands.

 _Is that what magic is supposed to do?_ He'd never seen Sora do something like that, but maybe he just hadn't learned enough.

Mim seemed enamored with his attention, spinning and crowing, "I can even change shape!" Her form morphed, and she turned into a bird, which tugged at Shirou's hair.

He swiped at her.

She flew away and changed back, hopping delightedly. "Would you imagine that I could make myself uglier, too?"

Shirou blinked, his head still reeling.

"Hmmph. Some audience. But watch this. This'll amaze you." She turned partially away and hid her face behind her hair. She turned back abruptly, pulling her hair away. "Boo!" Her face had transformed, sporting a pig snout and warts.

Shirou jumped.

"Oho, I got you! I got you!" She clapped, then pushed the snout in, returning to normal. "Well, boy? Wouldn't you say I'm the most awful, terrible witch you've ever seen?"

"I guess?" He supposed he hadn't seen many witches.

She seemed pleased by this, and crowed, "Well, of course, no one can beat the magnificent Madam Mim." She curtsied.

Shirou eyed her and debated with himself a few moments. "Could you teach me magic?"

"Oh, I don't teach people things. That'd be too nice."

"But I want to do what you do. I think."

"I'm flattered, but no one can compare to me. But maybe we could play a game to decide."

"A game?"

"Oh, yes. You see, I'm quite fond of games." Even as she spoke, her form changed, morphing into a large, pink tiger.

Shirou took a step back.

"I'll give you a head start. If I catch you, the game's over."

Shirou ran.

Mim thundered after him.

Shirou skidded to the side and summoned Vir. He swung.

Mim yelped. "Now, who said you could attack?" She lunged.

Shirou fell.

Mim sailed over him.

Shirou scrambled to his feet while his opponent circled around towards him. He reached desperately for his magic. "Fi—"

The witch lunged.

No fireball formed on Vir's tip, but the world shifted. Shirou's heart pounded. He suddenly felt unexpected, irrational joy, and found himself grinning. The sensation seemed foreign and detached, like it came from a place outside himself.

Mim pinned him. "I win, I win!"

His breath hissed from his throat, but his chest shook, and suddenly his laugh echoed hers.

"What's so funny?"

"I-I don't know." But he couldn't stop grinning and laughing.

Mim eyed him. "You are a strange boy, aren't you?"

The happiness faded to wary observation, and then something snapped in his mind, and the feeling disappeared altogether. Shirou's laughter abated, and he lay there, panting, wondering at his own irrational actions.

Mim studied her claws. "Well, now that our game's over, I suppose I'll have to destroy you."

Shirou stiffened.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll make it as painful as possible. It's the least I can do since you gave me such wonderful compliments."

He realized he still held Vir. He turned the blade, his fingers stretching to move it.

Mim raised a claw.

Shirou stabbed.

Mim yelped, leaping off him, her fur spiking.

Shirou scrambled to his feet and raced away, first dragging Vir, then releasing it when the weight proved too cumbersome.

Mim didn't follow, and he wondered at that for only a few moments before the woods swallowed him.

* * *

 _So, shorter chapter. Honestly, after writing this, I had that song Mim sings in the movie playing through my head the rest of the day…_

 **Parks98:** Haha, I figured the world would be appropriate. I know Merlin appears in Radiant Garden, but who's to say he couldn't come from Camelot first? And don't worry; Saber and the other Fate-verse Arthurian characters will remain the same. In this 'verse, basically all the heroic spirits summoned for the Holy Grail War are particular to the legends of Gaia, not other worlds. (And yes, the Holy Grail War will happen, but it might be a bit different than people expect.) You _will_ find out what happens to Kiritsugu, but it'll be a little bit before he pops up again. He has important roles to play later, though. As for your question: yes. But I don't know that I've dropped enough hints yet for people to figure out exactly what it is. (Though you might be getting an idea of what his abilities revolve around…)

 **Gold2King:** Hope this chapter lived up to expectations!

 **Sceonn:** I don't remember saying he was a sword…? I _did_ say that the path of a warrior was chosen for him, if that's what you're referring to. (Though, path of a warrior can be related to a lot of things…)

 **ultima-owner:** At the moment, no, his Keyblade doesn't have a glider form. I haven't decided whether or not he'll get one in the future or not. But there might be some other magics you mentioned making an appearance.

 **animesguardianangel:** Bad Shirou. No running off to other worlds. Shame. You're right in that his magic/origin and element aren't standard; there are a few hints in this chapter (and previous) about what route his magic's going to lean towards, though. (Though probably not enough to guess his element and origin yet.) Hopefully this chapter lived up to expectations!

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Thanks!

 **reality deviant:** Did she? I don't know if I'd count on that~ Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter!

 _Any questions/comments/etc.? Feel free to drop a review!_


	12. Merlin

_Here's chapter twelve. Thank you idea . getthe, Gold2King, Parks98, ultima-owner, blackfirekingkoncor, animesguardianangel, and Initiumi for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twelve: Merlin**

Sora landed. The Land of Departure seemed much as he remembered it: wide, expansive gardens, a tall castle with chains draping from the spires, flowing water that sparkled in the sunlight. Birds chirped; streams gurgled. The scars from the world's destruction were mostly healed, covered by new stones or by flower beds. A few training dummies lay strewn across the landing area.

Sora stepped from the Gummi ship. He shifted, then shook himself and moved.

He stepped into a brightly-lit interior, small magic lights illuminating stone walls, large windows allowing mottled light. His footsteps echoed through the corridors and his hand absently ran along the wall.

He stopped at the courtyard.

Melody and Rai ran through the space; Melody had her Keyblade—a bright red, flame-like weapon with spiked teeth—covered in fire. Rai raced from her, shouting, "That's not fair!" and "Knock it off, I'm trying to train!"

"Hey!" Sora called.

Rai turned and tripped over a dummy.

Melody swung.

Rai yelped, then rolled, extinguishing his flaming shirt. He glowered.

Melody laughed. "I win."

"I wasn't even playing."

Melody released her Keyblade and turned, grinning. "Sora!" She raced towards him and leapt.

Sora grunted, then laughed, returning the hug. "Hey! Looks like your fire magic's coming along."

"Yep!"

Sora tussled her hair, then said, "I'm not here to visit, though. I need to talk to Aqua. Is she here?"

"No. She went to Disney Castle."

"How about Lea?"

"Yeah. He's in Aqua's office."

"Thanks."

Rai grumbled, "You're never here to visit."

Melody puffed her cheeks.

Sora scratched his head. "Maybe I'll see you guys later."

Melody asked, "Will you bring your apprentice here? I want to meet him!"

Rai shouted, "You mean you want to torture him!"

"I will not!" She turned and planted her hands on her hips.

Rai sighed, still splayed across the ground.

"Maybe. We'll see." Sora waved and left. The apprentices' bickering echoed down the corridors.

Sora turned down a hallway, passing closed bedrooms and tall, ornate paintings. He stopped at a large, oak door and knocked.

Fumbling sounded inside. "Who is it?"

"Sora."

"Sora?" Footsteps tapped towards the door. Lea opened it and stared. He smirked and crossed his arms. "You never change. Maybe you're a little bit taller."

"Haha, funny. I'm actually here to find out where Riku was sent."

"Camelot. There've been more Heartless than usual there. Why? You want to go on a mission too?"

"Shirou followed him. Oh. Ah, Shirou's my—"

"I know. Aqua told me." Lea rubbed his head. "So I think I'm supposed to be bugging you to train my apprentices or something, but you know what? Have fun. Just do me a favor and file a report afterwards. I'll leave it for Aqua."

Sora blinked, then smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Sora waved and left.

 **-Shirou** stumbled through the woods. He slowed, panting, and glanced behind him. A trail of leaves followed him, disturbed. He took a deep breath. His heart pounded in his head. He summoned Vir and held it in front of him. "Fire."

The trees groaned. His words fell through the still air.

Shirou released his Keyblade and sighed.

Something stirred.

Shirou turned. "Hello?"

A shape moved, wrapped in a cloak.

"Who are you?"

"I am what's left," a deep voice rumbled. He sounded vaguely amused.

"Huh?"

The cloaked figure moved closer. "Tell me. Do you know the nature of the heart?"

Shirou took a step backwards.

"Do you know what a stray memory can do to one?"

Something shivered down Shirou's spine. He summoned Vir and positioned it across his body.

The figure leaned over the weapon. A semi-transparent face stared from beneath the hood, pale hair framing dark skin.

Shirou held Vir with both hands. His legs shook.

"I see. So you are like me."

Shirou frowned.

The figure smirked. "Does your master know?" He paused, face contorting. "No, he wouldn't. He's too attuned to others' hearts to understand."

"Understand what?" Shirou's voice came out quiet, shaky. He cleared his throat. His legs locked.

"Oh? You haven't realized it, either. How sad." Something like mist shrouded the figure's feet.

Shirou swung.

The figured leapt backwards. "What would your master do, I wonder, if I were to test you right now?"

Shirou's vision warped. Darkness briefly covered the figure then disappeared.

A voice drifted towards them.

The figure's head snapped sideways. He chuckled. "I suppose that will have to wait. Tell Sora I said 'hi.'" The voice shifted to something younger. He moved backwards, fading into shadows.

Shirou suddenly realized his legs were wobbling and that sweat soaked his hair and shirt. He fell, releasing a heavy breath.

The voice from before—older, male—drew closer, words gradually growing more distinguishable, "…ood heavens, I know it was around here somewhere! It hasn't been that long since I visited." An old man stepped from the trees, a long blue cloak covering most of him, his white beard trailing down his chest, a blue, pointed hat tilted on his head. He carried a burlap bag. The man stopped. He blinked, removed his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "Well, I'll say. Another Keyblade wielder!"

Shirou stared. His heart pounded.

"Hello, there! Are you one of Riku's? Or did Aqua get an apprentice? I didn't think she was here, but—"

The words finally registered, and Shirou shook his head. "Sora."

"Hm?"

"Sora. I'm Sora's apprentice."

The man blinked, then his mustache rose in a grin. "So he finally got an apprentice, did he? Good, good! It's about time. I hope he's been teaching you well. Is he here?"

Shirou shook his head.

"Shame. I would have liked to see how his heart magic was coming along."

"Heart magic?"

"Yes! Didn't he tell you? It's what he specializes in. How long have you been his apprentice?"

"A couple of weeks." Shirou's head reeled. "Um, who are you?"

"Oh! My, my, my, where are my manners? My name is Merlin. I'm a wizard. I taught Sora everything he knows. Well, mostly. About magic."

Shirou scrambled to his feet, Vir lifted.

"Now what's that for?"

"I met a witch earlier."

Merlin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "You must be referring to Mim. I am nothing like that old hag, believe you me. Do you really think Sora would learn magic from someone who's evil?"

Shirou eyed him, then released Vir, slowly relaxing. "Can you teach me magic, then?"

"Hmm? Of course! But why not learn from Sora?"

"I'm not doing well. I came here to get better."

"And I doubt that you came with the intention of meeting me. I'm not even usually here, you know. You're very lucky I learned about the Heartless situation and came back."

Shirou blinked.

Merlin sighed. "Well, come along, come along! We'll see if we can find my old house. I'll start teaching you there. Oh, I didn't get your name."

"Shirou."

They walked together. The forest grew lighter. A few birds chattered above. Shirou's arms and legs ached.

Merlin shot something from his hand.

Shirou jumped.

Dark smoke spiraled skyward. "Heartless," Merlin warned. "You'd do best to stay away from them."

Shirou pursed his lips.

They continued. Merlin asked, "Sora doesn't know you're here, does he?"

Shirou shook his head.

"I can't keep you here long, you know, because of that. I'll have to see about contacting Sora to further your training. But you shouldn't have run off, whatever your intentions."

Shirou frowned. "I wanted to get better."

"Yes, but you're still very inexperienced. I'm sure Sora is worried about you."

Shirou looked away. "Will he be disappointed?"

"I don't know. He'll be upset, I'm certain, but probably more relieved that nothing bad happened." Merlin eyed him sternly. "But don't do it again. Ah, here we are."

Another run-down house, similar to Mim's, stood in a small glade. The forest seemed brighter here—greener, more sunlight, a quiet stream bubbling nearby, a squirrel nibbling a nut, two birds perched on the house's roof. Merlin shooed them away. He opened the door. "Come in, come in."

The house was relatively empty. A desk and chair sat in the middle. An empty bookshelf occupied one wall. Merlin set his bag down and opened it. He pulled a wand from his sleeve. "Just let me unpack first. It won't take long." He waved the wand. The bag twitched. Small books climbed out of it, slowly growing and finding places on the empty bookshelf, faint, blue-tinged magic shrouding and bolstering them. Beakers, strange concoctions, clothes, and a large chair followed, each finding places to inhabit. They danced around the room, floating on the magic, spiraling around Shirou. He hesitantly touched a book, disturbing it, then pulled away. The book returned to its position and continued to the shelf. Some nestled on the ground, and Shirou backpedaled to avoid behind overwhelmed. Merlin's arms waved back and forth, while he mumbled to himself.

Shirou asked, "How are you doing that?"

"Magic, of course."

Finally everything settled. Merlin sat in the chair. "Have a seat." He urged another chair forward, catching Shirou and forcing him into it. "Now, how much do you know about magic?"

Shirou cupped his chin. "That it's connected to the heart—or at least, that's the area it's supposed to be near. And that it's connected to the Keyblade. You have to reach for it and say a spell to use it."

Merlin rubbed his beard. "Well, yes, that's true, but there's much more to magic than that. Maybe we should start with the basics." Merlin charmed a book. It floated to him and landed, open, in his lap. "Now, magic is something that originates from the heart, like you said. It exists inside every creature and inside every world, but not everyone can reach deep enough into their heart to activate it. Keyblade wielders are lucky. Has Sora told you what the Keyblade is?"

Shirou shook his head.

"Hmm. Well, I'll let him explain the details. But at its most basic, the Keyblade is a man-made weapon designed to function as a manifestation of someone's heart. As such, anyone who wields a Keyblade automatically has a much deeper connection to their heart than many around them."

Shirou summoned Vir and examined it.

"Keyblades typically unlock magical potential in their user. In fact, just the ability to summon the Keyblade is a form of magic. Everyone has different levels of magical potential, but everyone also has the ability to use magic, whether that be because they dig deep enough or because they wield a weapon such as the Keyblade. If normal spells aren't working for you, it might mean that you're just not magically inclined." Something amused entered his eyes. "Or it might mean that you have very specific magic."

Shirou straightened, Vir disappearing.

"Most Keyblade wielders can use all the basic forms of magic. However, usually they can only use more advanced spells that relate to their magical affinity."

"Affinity?"

"Everyone has some sort of element or concept they align with. Take Sora, for example. His affinities are Light and Wind. Riku—I'm assuming you know Riku?—is Light and Darkness. Usually this doesn't stop them from using other basic spells, of course, but perhaps you have an affinity outside of the normal."

"How do you find an 'affinity'?"

"Normally through practice. Whatever magic seems to come easiest is what the user will naturally be drawn to."

"So not Fire and Blizzard."

Merlin laughed. "If those haven't worked, then no, I suppose not!" Merlin's eyebrows furrowed. "What's happened when you've tried to use magic before? Maybe that'll give us an idea of what's going on."

Shirou crossed his arms and frowned. He closed his eyes. "It doesn't want to work." Mim lunged behind his eyelids, and the world shifted. "Something weird happens. It's like everything around me is moving. No, it's—breaking?" He shook his head. His voice grew quieter. "But I feel something. It's outside me, but inside, too." His heart thumped, once. He opened his eyes.

Merlin studied him. "Hmm. That is certainly odd. It reminds me—well. I won't dwell on that just yet. So instead of working on spells, we're going to work on making you more attuned to your magic."

Shirou nodded.

"Now, get comfortable. You probably won't be moving for a while."

Shirou considered, then slid from the chair, crossing his legs on the floor.

"Close your eyes and reach for your magic."

Shirou obeyed. The energy pulsed near his heart.

"I want you to focus on that. Don't shape it into a spell. Just focus on holding the magic, becoming familiar with it. Can you do that?"

Shirou nodded.

"Good. I'll leave you to it, then. Don't stop until I tell you."

Shirou nodded again, the magic pulsing rhythmically, almost like the beat of a heart.

* * *

 _Okay, that's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **idea . getthe:** He knows about other worlds. However, at the moment, he doesn't know what Aqua and the other Keybladers are up to. (The multiverse is pretty vast and hard to keep track of.)

 **Gold2King:** No, no offense taken! And thanks for pointing it out; I'll try to work on that. Honestly, I appreciate when people point out where I seem to be struggling, etc., because I may not even realize I'm doing it until someone says something, so thanks!

 **Parks98:** Haha, Mim is…interesting. As for Shirou's joy, well…that's a bit more complicated. He certainly felt a sort of joy, but suffice it to say it wasn't his. (Although you're not wrong in that it was Sora's doing…) At the moment I'm figuring that Gaia will be the only non-Kingdom Hearts/Disney/etc. world that appears (though that world does sound like a neat idea), but my stories also have a tendency to hijack themselves, so I won't rule out the possibility entirely. Haha, you didn't have to wait long for Merlin! He's got things a lot more together than Sora does on the magic front. Merlin actually doesn't know of Zeltretch's existence, to be honest. There _are_ several characters in other worlds who know the old vampire, though (one of them being Yen Sid, if only as occasional acquaintances).

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** To be honest, I don't usually use keychains a lot. However, since they will be mentioned at least as a concept in this story, I may bring them in later. (Though not quite yet—I feel like Shirou still needs to get used to Vir before he starts changing his weapon.)

 **animesguardianangel:** Haha, I don't think Shirou usually has an appropriate response. Hmm, not to the world…

 **Initiumi:** Haha, well…things will certainly be interesting for you to look at from here on out.

 _Anything you'd like to say about the chapter? Please leave a review and let me know!_


	13. Heartless

_Okay, so here's chapter thirteen. Thank you Mythfan, ZidanReign, Aladdinina Magi, idea . getthe, Parks98, Bigreader in The Omniverse, Kamen Rider Ebon, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Initiumi, a guest, ultima-owner, animesguardianangel, Jebest4781, and blackfirekingkoncor for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirteen: Heartless**

Sora landed in Camelot, just outside a large city. People hurried back and forth in the streets, wearing tunics and dresses and slacks. Venders called wares. A castle towered over the wooden buildings and rough shacks. Sora hurried through the dirt streets.

A horse startled and reared.

"Hey!" the horse's owner snarled.

"Sorry." He turned and nearly knocked over a basket of apples. "Sorry!" He scanned the crowed, then took a steadying breath and closed his eyes. His magic twitched beneath his touch, then flowed, tentatively stretching out and brushing the hearts around him. Hints of emotion brushed his consciousness, unfamiliar heartbeats pounding quietly in the background. No familiar pulse fluctuated beneath his probing.

Something knocked him, and his concentration snapped. He released the magic when a surge of foreign agitation washed over him. "Hey!" growled a gruff voice. "What are you doing, sleeping?"

"Whoops." He smiled sheepishly. "I'll get out of your way." He weaved through the crowd and slid between two houses. He knelt and braced one palm against the ground. His magic slid through it and into the dirt, diving deeper, deeper, until a powerful, slow beat sounded alongside his own. Warmth weaved through his heart. Quiet whispers flickered through his mind. Faint images flashed behind his eyelids, barely visible, rippling like water.

 _Hey. I need to ask a favor._

The warmth increased. The flow wrapped his heart like a blanket.

 _I'm looking for my apprentice. His name is Shirou. He's about six, red hair, small. Blue pants and white shirt._

The warmth lessened slightly. Images flashed in a jumble. The flow ebbed, then returned, then ebbed again, images flashing rapidly.

 _Wh-whoa, hey! I can't keep up with that._

The flickering images slowed. A few indistinguishable ones passed by. The flow stopped suddenly, all images disappearing.

 _Something wrong?_

A Heartless emerged, large and gargoyle-like, snarling. It vanished into smoke.

 _You want me to help with the Heartless situation?_

Comforting warmth radiated around him.

 _Sure, no problem._

An image bubbled from the warmth. Shirou sat in a small shack, surrounded by books. Merlin observed nearby, absently paging through a book in his lap.

 _Got it. Thanks!_

The warmth and images receded. Sora released the magic and gasped. His vision swam. He wobbled, his skin too cold, and held one hand to his head. The world steadied.

He stood. _Now I have to find Merlin's old house._ He frowned, trying to draw up the mental map in his head, then turned and hurried from the town into the woods.

 **-Shirou** breathed slowly. The magic fluctuated with his heartbeat. It reminded him a little of liquid fire, warm, almost burning, but still flowing, cocooning his heart. It still wouldn't let him grasp it, but so long as he just observed, it seemed content.

"Alright, my boy," a distant voice said, "that's enough."

The sense of a foreign pleasure touched his heart. The magic flashed a faint yellow.

Shirou opened his eyes and pulled away from the magic. Black spots covered the room, and he blinked until they disappeared. His legs tingled, and he stretched, rubbing feeling back into them.

Merlin examined him. "How do you feel?"

"Fine."

"Good, good. You should have some sense of what your magic's like. Now, describe it to me."

"It's calm when I don't bother it. It's really hot, but kind of cold, too, and it's always moving." He frowned. "It turned yellow."

"Oh?"

"But it was weird. Like before. I felt happy, but didn't. Like it wasn't mine."

Merlin scratched his beard. "Yes, it is strange. But I have a theory."

Shirou leaned forward.

"I want to test it first. Please, reach for your magic."

Shirou closed his eyes. He reached for the magic. The substance swam around his heart.

"Now, catch it and don't let it go."

Shirou mentally gripped the magic. It struggled, writhing, burning the contours of his heart, seeming to lick his ribs with a cold-hot fire. He scrunched his eyes tighter and kept a firm hold on the magic. He wobbled.

"Tell me what you feel."

The magic turned purple. A faint worry tinged his mind.

He lost the magic. His wobbled backwards and knocked over the chair.

"Are you alright?" Merlin hovered over him.

Shirou nodded. He sat up. "I lost it."

"That's alright." Merlin sighed, sitting down and bracing his head with a hand. "I shouldn't have had you do that so soon."

"But," Shirou paused, "the magic changed purple."

"Oh?"

"There was another weird emotion there. Like I was worried about something."

Merlin clapped his hands. "I bet you I'm correct!"

Shirou tilted his head.

"Let me explain. You see, from the sounds of it, your magic is reacting to outside emotions. When you said you felt a strange sort of worry that wasn't yours, you were probably feeling mine. Interesting that you perceive a change in color. I'll have to ask Sora if his magic does the same. Anyway. This sounds a lot like Sora's 'heart magic.'"

Shirou cupped his chin, eyes sliding sideways. "What is 'heart magic'?"

"It's a very specialized form of magic. It allows someone to read another's emotions and memories."

"Memories?"

"Yes. What do you know about the nature of the heart?"

Shirou shook his head.

"I see. Well, I'm no expert on this subject. Yen Sid could have told you, perhaps. Sora would certainly know more than I. But, in essence, the heart is the seat of emotions, and it stores memories inside it. As such, being able to connect with someone else's heart means that, with enough practice, you could view their memories."

Shirou blinked.

"Little bit like mind reading, isn't it?" Merlin lifted a finger and winked. "With enough practice you could, in theory, communicate with someone silently. Of course, it would mostly involve impressions, rather than words, but the point still stands. You could even begin to interact with things beyond sapient creatures. Animals. Plants. Even the world itself. I know for a fact Sora can do the latter, but he does have help. He earned the trust of the worlds' hearts, after all. At any rate, I believe that this is the type of magic you are aligned to. Instead of having a traditional magical field, you have 'heart.'"

Shirou absorbed this and leaned back, frowning.

"What good fortune, then, that your master specializes in this sort of magic!"

"Merlin," Shirou began, "if Sora's elements are Wind and Light, why can he specialize in heart magic?"

"Oh, yes. Well, Sora is an odd case. You remember I said that he earned the trust of the worlds' hearts? That plays into it. Of course, I really don't know much about the situation. Sora dodges the question whenever I ask. You'd be better off interrogating him."

Shirou nodded.

"How about a break? I can whip up some tea, and then we can figure out how to proceed. After all, we can't just keep you here. Somehow we have to get into contact with Sora."

Shirou nodded.

Merlin stood and went to a tea set.

Something flickered on the edge of Shirou's vision. The world warped momentarily, then steadied.

A black-haired girl watched from the shadows, expression sad.

"Who are you?"

Merlin asked, "Pardon?"

"There's a girl there."

The girl looked at him.

"You were in my Awakening. But I don't know you."

The girl shook her head.

Merlin said, "There's no one there."

The girl disappeared.

Shirou blinked. He cautiously extended his hand into the air where she'd been and found nothing. He frowned, then turned and left the house.

"Where are you going?"

"Looking for where the girl went."

"But—Shirou, wait! There was no girl."

Shirou ignored him, racing into the forest. His heart pounded, tugging him onward. Trees blurred past him. A vague part of his mind wondered why he was searching for the girl—he didn't know her, she wasn't important to his training—but he kept going, eyes peering between the trees, heartbeat in his ears.

Something moved at the edge of his vision, and he stopped.

The hooded figure from before stared.

Shirou stared back.

The figure snorted, then disappeared.

The trees around him seemed unfamiliar. He suddenly realized he didn't know how far he'd come. He turned, intending to go back, then paused.

The shadows shifted.

Shirou's legs locked.

The shadows twitched. A small, bug-like creature rose from them, bead eyes glowing yellow. Others appeared around it, twitching, motions unsteady.

Shirou took a step back and summoned Vir.

The bug-like creatures turned their attention towards him. They crept towards him, then jumped.

Shirou swung.

One of the creatures fell away. Another caught his arm, one clawed hand gripping it, the other reaching towards his chest.

Shirou moved his arm away.

Another creature leapt, catching his shirt. Its claws dug through the fabric and into his skin. Other shadows materialized, creeping along the ground towards him.

Shirou flailed, slashing with Vir. He slapped the creature on his arm against another, dislodging it. He stopped, his vision flickering, and stared.

The shadows that crawled towards him morphed, and the creatures took on a human-like appearance. Flames and broken buildings rose around him. Heat licked his back. Helpless hands stretched forward. "Help us!"

 _I can't._

"Give us your heart."

"Fire!" A fireball rocketed through the buildings and crashed into one of the figures. It exploded into dark smoke.

"Sora?"

His master appeared, and the scene returned to a forest, strange shadow creatures edging towards him. He realized one of the creatures still crawled up his shirt, nails digging into skin and swiping at his chest. His heart pounded, and the creature stopped, tilting its head, one claw poised. Shirou watched with a strange, detached sort of fascination.

"Get off him!" The Kingdom Key tore through the creature, smoke billowing into Shirou's eyes.

Sora appeared from amidst it. "Are you alright?" He examined Shirou's face, arms stiff, sweat beading down his cheek, then glanced past him. "Look out!"

A wolf-like creature—dark blue, spiked fur, a strange heart symbol on its head, the same yellow bead eyes—stalked towards him. Several others followed, a few more of the bugs crawling from the shadows.

Sora positioned himself in front of Shirou. "Stay back."

The wolves circled, then lunged, their movements erratic.

Sora's Keyblade flashed, fire coating the weapon, and ripped through one of the wolves. A pink heart floated skywards amidst the smoke.

The other wolves watched warily. One came closer, jaws snapping.

Shirou turned and slashed. Vir hit the creature's skull.

"Tornado."

Wind tugged Shirou's clothes. Green energy spiraled nearby, flattening the grass, stirring the leaves. The energy spun, turning into a vortex. Sora's arm lifted, and the tornado moved, rotating around them. Shirou's hair fluttered around his face. He lifted an arm to protect his eyes. He reached back and caught Sora's jacket. The tornado ripped around them, casting a faint green light on their surroundings and trapping the creatures within. The wolves and bugs struggled inside the vortex, eventually fading into shadows, pink hearts floating skyward.

The energy died. Sora lowered his hand, scanning the trees. "Are you okay?" He hadn't released his Keyblade.

"Yeah."

He finally turned. "You're bleeding."

"Oh." He looked, blinking. His arm had long, red gashes, and his shirt had bloody holes. "It's fine."

Sora sighed. He relaxed slightly and released the Kingdom Key. He turned and knelt, holding Shirou's arm. "Cure." A green light coated Shirou's arm. The pain faded, the wound slowly knitting itself together. The sensation felt strange, itchy, not unpleasant but unusual.

"Shirou," Sora said, serious expression painted with the magic's green light, "what were you thinking?"

Shirou blinked. "I was looking for a girl."

" _That's_ why you came here?"

 _Oh._ "I came to learn how to use magic. You said that you learned how to by fighting."

"I see." Sora's eyebrows fell over his eyes. His head snapped up. "You shouldn't have gone. I said you weren't ready. What if I hadn't gotten here when I did? You could have died!"

Shirou blinked. "Oh."

" _Oh_?" The magic faded. Sora's hand around Shirou's arm shook. His expression morphed briefly, eyebrows raised, eyes wide, mouth tight. He lowered his head and moved to the stomach wound, casting another cure spell, face taunt. "Do you know what this Heartless was trying to do? It was trying to steal your heart. To make you one of them." His quiet voice wavered at the end.

Shirou blinked, a primal terror shivering along his spine.

"How do you think I'd feel if that happened because I didn't train you right? Because I didn't get here in time?"

Shirou tilted his head. "You would be upset if I died?"

" _Yes_ , Shirou. That's why I came after you." The magic died. Sora met his gaze, steely-eyed, then melted and dragged him into a hug, breathing out deeply. "Don't do that again, alright?"

"O-okay." Shirou remained stiff, arms half-raised. Cautiously he reached for his magic.

Images raced through his head, blurry and blinding in their speed, but he thought he saw darkness, and a human-like 'Heartless,' and vaguely heard Sora scream. He released the magic and gasped.

Sora held him tighter. He cleared his throat and pulled away slowly and braced his hands on Shirou's shoulders. "Listen, I have to help take care of this Heartless problem. But once I have, we're leaving. Got it?"

Shirou nodded. He wondered why he couldn't meet Sora's gaze. "Those were Heartless?"

"Yeah."

"Shirou!" Merlin's voice echoed through the trees. "Shirou! Confound it, boy, where are you?"

Sora called, "We're over here, Merlin!"

"Sora?" The wizard appeared. "Well, my word! I didn't expect to see you here."

Sora grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Surprised me, too. So you've met my apprentice, huh?"

"Yes, yes! I was helping teach him magic. We were going to contact you, actually, but it looks like we don't have to."

"Yeah. Thanks for looking after him."

"Of course! But Sora, you should know that Shirou's magic is like yours."

"Huh?"

"Heart magic. He specializes in heart magic."

Sora's eyes flicked to Shirou's. "Wow. I guess that's kind of convenient, huh?"

"Yes. I was hoping you'd tell me a little more about how your magic works? Maybe we could train him together."

Sora looked away. Then he lifted his head, smiling. "Actually, do you think you could watch him for a while? I need to help with the Heartless problem this world has."

"Hmm? Of course, but surely you want to help train him?"

"Nah, it's fine." He folded his arms behind his head. "Heh, you know more than me anyways. Hey, maybe _he'll_ teach _me_ something."

"If you're sure."

Shirou frowned. He tugged Sora's sleeve. "I can help."

"Hey, you wanted to learn magic, right? You'll help a lot more if you stay here with Merlin and do that."

 _But I want to go with you._

 _Please your Master._ He nodded.

Sora stood. He hesitated, hand half-lifted, then scratched his cheek. "Right. Well, see you later!" He waved and disappeared into the forest.

Shirou stared after him.

"Right," Merlin said, "now, let's get you back to the house. And no more running off!"

 **-Alaya's** consciousness shifted, filtering through her memories. The images of different timelines flowed past her, rippling through her heart and appearing, but inevitably she'd cycle back to one tainted one. She roughly pushed it aside, but it returned, reminding her, constantly, that a piece was missing.

A rough voice said, "You seem upset."

The images whirled and disappeared. Heat radiated from Alaya's heart. She projected the concept, _Who's there?_ The harsh, voice-like sensation rippled outward, pounding against another heart—smaller, fragile.

"Someone from the dark." Faint amusement radiated from the other's heart, and Alaya had the sensation that its owner laughed at a joke she didn't understand.

 _Explain yourself. How did you force contact with me? I don't remember hearing a request for a contract._

"Well, I'm not from your world. In fact, I'm not even what would be considered a 'proper' being. Much like that pawn you're missing so badly."

The image of that memory-timeline rippled briefly into existence, and she shoved it forcefully away.

"I wonder. Is it because you need him for something? Or is it because he was given a Keyblade?"

 _You know of the Keyblade?_

"Very well."

 _Then you know what it brings. The Heartless are not welcome here._

"Because you already have enough trouble fighting your corruption, don't you?"

Alaya pulled away from the foreign heart. Heat flared from her. _How dare you? It is not my fault Gaia can't keep her half of the heart under control._

"Should I contact her instead? I believed you had more interest in protecting humanity than that."

Alaya lashed out, long tendrils striking towards the heart, battering past it, fire raging from long, red tips. _You presume much, mortal. My Guardians have been working tirelessly to purge the corruption!_

"And how many times have they failed?"

The tendrils curled slightly, beginning to wrap around the heart. _You are pressing your luck._

"Alaya, I am not here to make enemies. In fact, I think I may be able to help you."

 _I do not need your help._

"Oh? I would offer you a contract to show my sincerity, but, as I said, I do not belong to this world. You know the corruption is eating at humanity. At your memories. You want to be rid of it, do you not?"

Alaya's heart pulsed, the heat increasing momentarily, then fading.

"I propose an alliance. I will help you rid yourself of your corruption. In return, I must ask for your aid in dealing with a certain Keyblade wielder. I think you know him. He's the one that plucked your pet away."

Alaya's consciousness rippled, swarming around the smaller heart. She steadied herself, slowly pulling away. _I will consider it. But how would this be beneficial? That man is no longer on our world. I cannot influence events in other worlds._

The heart didn't respond for a moment. "Do you perhaps have a memory I could borrow?"

Alaya's consciousness spiked defensively.

"I promise I will return it."

 _No. You will simply taint another timeline._

"Perhaps. Alright. Then I will get him to come to you. But it may take time."

 _Time means little to me. If you bring him here, then I would be more than happy to fulfill your request. I have the perfect Guardian for the job._

"Excellent. I look forward to it." The heart's consciousness faded.

* * *

 _So that's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Mythfan:** Maybe~

 **ZidanReign:** Yep! However, this Merlin doesn't actually know about his Nasuverse counterpart, or vice-versa.

 **Aladdinina Magi:** Haha, cliffhangers; fun to write, not to read.

 **idea . getthe:** Nope, they're too different people.

 **Parks98:** Ah, but is it really Xehanort? And, well, I guess by this point people have probably figured out where his magical specialties will be. As for Zeltrech's powers compared to our main characters, I'd say he's probably the strongest out of…all of them. As for the Princess of Heart, he certainly knows of them, but he actually hasn't interacted with a lot of inhabitants outside his own world since the time of Eraqus and Xehanort. (Actually, Aqua met him very briefly when she was young, but she never really knew much about him because Eraqus thought he was a bad influence.)

 **Bigreader in The Omniverse:** Magic is a bit of a complicated beast. For the purpose of this story, every individual has the inborn _potential_ for magic, but the actual ability to unlock it is shaped by the worlds. So for example, on Gaia, this magic takes the form of magic circuits, origin and element, etc., so inhabitants of this world would only be able to use magic through these methods unless some outside force interfered and altered the way their magic functions. (A la the Keyblade.) The method Merlin describes is the one that's the most common among the worlds, and the one the Keyblade defaults to. To basically describe Shirou's alterations through this: he still has an origin/element—which were left over from his home world and are what's affecting the type of magic he can use—but he doesn't use magic with magic circuits, as the Keyblade warped his ability to use magic into the more common form.

 **Kamen Rider Ebon:** Nope, this Merlin is different! In this case, Merlin is just a name shared between two individuals—two individuals who come from very similar stories, but still two separate entities.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Haha, he's had more experience. And to be fair, 'incarnation' doesn't have any meaning to this Merlin; he doesn't know the Nasuverse brand of magic, nor does he realize that what he's noticing is Shirou's element/origin, so…

 **Initiumi:** Haha, indeed! Mother hen mode is…pretty accurate. Can't really blame him in this case, though. Haha, that's also probably a conversation that'll happen at some point. (I'm imagining Rin's face, actually, and it's pretty hilarious.) Thanks! I'm curious to see if people guess where I'm going with this or not.

 **Guest:** While that would be amusing, at this moment there are no plans for them to stop at the Pride Lands. (Though feel free to guess other worlds they might visit!)

 **ultima-weapon:** Not his Reality Marble, but his magic certainly had an effect. Archimedes will probably show up in the next chapter. Probably.

 **animesguardianangel:** Yep! And Rin's reaction to finding out would be amazing.

 **Jebest4781:** Thank you so much for all the reviews, and I'm glad you're liking the story so far!

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Well, 'interesting' is one way to describe it.

 _Any comments? Please let me know in a review!_


	14. Conflict

_Chapter fourteen is up! Thank you Zephyroths, Jebest4781, DPSS, KadoyaOkami, Catasros, ultima-owner, Aladdinina Magi, Aburg76, animesguardianangel, Parks98, blackfirekingkoncor, and Initiumi for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fourteen: Conflict**

Emi followed Riku. They moved through the castle, their footsteps echoing loudly. "Um, where are we going?"

"To talk to King Arthur. Hopefully he'll know something about the Heartless situation."

"Oh. Right." She rubbed her arm and bit her lip.

"Something on your mind?"

"N-no!"

Riku eyed her dubiously.

Emi looked away. She straightened, pressing her arms to her sides and schooled her features into a serious expression. "I'm fine!"

Riku watched her a long moment more. "Alright. But let me know if you want to talk about it."

Emi nodded, then relaxed, her breath puffing out in a rush. She glanced behind her, then hurried after her master.

The two entered a large throne room. Red-and-gold banners hung on the walls, and a matching rug covered the floor. Large candlesticks stood near rectangular windows, unlit. Sunlight streamed through the slits. Emi rushed to one of the windows and peered out, grinning, the wind twisting her hair. Clouds billowed past; the patchwork landscape stretched far away from her.

Riku coughed.

Emi jumped, then sheepishly rejoined him, face heating, arms clasped behind her back. She straightened, trying to ignore her burning face.

Riku bowed. "Your majesty."

Emi copied him.

"No need for that." The man they'd come to see had short blond hair and a neatly-trimmed beard. He wore a long red robe, and a small gold circlet adorned his head. A sword had been strapped around his waist, resting awkwardly against the wooden throne and the man's leg. "How are you? It's been a while since I've seen Keybladers here."

"We're fine. We heard you were having trouble with Heartless."

"Ah. Yes, unfortunately." Arthur sighed. "My knights have attempted to deal with them, but we've had little success. I wondered if perhaps you knew more."

"Maybe. Is there any place where they seem to congregate?"

"Mostly out in the woods. The villagers don't know what they are—they've taken to calling them 'angry spirits' and such. I wouldn't even know what they were if it weren't for Merlin."

Riku nodded. "Have they come into town at all?"

"There've been a few attacks. I've instructed my knights to guard the town. The Heartless have been pressing closer to the edges recently." His eyes darkened. "I've gone out myself a few times. The first time I saw one of the creatures tear free someone's heart was rather horrifying."

Emi's face paled and she sucked in a breath.

Riku shot her a glance. "Please be careful about what you say. My apprentice hasn't had a good experience with these creatures."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Emi dipped her head, but she saw too clearly Shirou in the woods, one of the shadowy creatures perched over his prone body, clawed hands wrapped around a pink, glassy heart. She bounced from foot to foot and tugged Riku's shirt. "Riku."

"Anything else you can tell us?"

"There are some 'Shadows,' as Merlin calls them. Also some wolf-like creatures and birds. Some soldiers reported living plants, as well. The wolves tend to attack in packs, occasionally accompanied by a single bird who acts as look-out. The plants seem to be the most dangerous. They can sneak up from under the ground and attack at long-range."

"Got it." Riku bowed again, then turned.

Emi hurried after him.

When they left the throne room, Riku said, "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Eh?"

"I know you don't like Heartless. If you don't feel like you can face them yet, don't push yourself."

Emi quaked, but shook her head. "N-no! I want to come."

"Alright. But you can head back to the Gummi ship or here any time."

Emi nodded, sweat beading down her face and heart hammering. They left the castle.

 **-Sora** released a shaky breath. _Okay, focus._ With Heartless around, he didn't dare stop to try and inquire more about the situation from the world. Instead he cast out faint magic tendrils as he moved, brushing against the hearts of plants and animals, and grimaced, fine-tuning his control. _Just Heartless and sapient creatures._ His magic brushed against heavy corruption, and he pulled away quickly. He tentatively stretched the magic out again. The heavy darkness reached for it, clinging.

Sora released his magic. _Definitely a Heartless._ He summoned the Kingdom Key and moved, one mental finger on the pulse of his magic, quietly tracking the darkness and light that fluctuated around him.

Some of the wolf Heartless emerged from the trees. They snarled, racing towards him.

Sora skidded across the ground, sword arm thrown back, then cut, the swipe colliding with the Heartless and sending them sprawling backwards. He continued.

Another emerged from the trees and leapt.

Sora braced it against his Keyblade, then slammed it sideways, hitting it quickly twice. He spun, his Keyblade flashing, and cut another lunging Heartless. He stabbed, mentally sharpening his Keyblade's blunt edge to a sharp, cutting blade.

The Heartless yelped, then exploded into darkness, pink heart floating skyward.

Sora leapt away and ducked, another wolf sailing overhead, and spun his Keyblade behind him to block.

More wolves emerged from the trees.

Sora frowned, then leapt out of range, silently giving the order for his Keyblade to change. The Kingdom Key morphed, shifting, two guns clicking into existence in a flash of light. Sora lifted them and fired, magic bullets streaking across the ground and colliding with the wolves. They yelped, taking a few hits before falling, darkness swarming the clearing, pink hearts floating skyward.

The Kingdom Key changed back.

Yellow eyes still glinted from the trees. Shapes moved behind them, indistinguishable.

 _There are a lot of them here. I'd bet that Heartless the world showed me is commanding them. I guess that means it's probably near here._ He grimaced. _Or I could be drawing them with my magic._ The darkness quietly pinged around him. He took his mental finger off the magic's pulse. He twirled his blade and settled into a fighting stance.

The wolves stalked from the trees. Shadows spawned around them.

"Let's go!"

The wolves took that as a signal to charge.

Sora lifted his Keyblade and, after quickly checking his magic, called, "Thunder!" Lightning streaked from above, striking the wolves and shadows. The wolves yelped, stopping. The shadows exploded into darkness.

Sora kicked off. His blade swept upwards, underneath a wolf, and slashed its throat. It faded.

The other wolves recovered and charged.

Sora spun. He caught one of the beasts' legs with the Kingdom Key's teeth, and he tugged, sending the Heartless tumbling into its companion.

Something screeched overhead.

Sora ducked.

A shape flew past his face. The bird Heartless cawed, soaring higher. It beat its wings, circling.

Sora tensed. He considered using Salvation or Faith to eliminate the Heartless quicker, but shook the thought away. _I should preserve that. If I find the big one too quickly and am low on magic, it could be a problem._ He twirled his Keyblade, then flung it. The weapon spiraled through several Heartless, then returned to him in a flash.

The bird spiraled, diving low again.

"Not a chance!" Sora gripped the Kingdom Key with both hands and stabbed.

The bird screeched, dissipating, pink heart floating skyward.

Sora rest the Kingdom Key on his shoulder. "That wasn't so bad."

Something rumbled beneath him.

He jumped away. "Or not."

Vines stabbed upward, coiling around the spot he'd once stood. They retreated below ground.

The earth rumbled again.

Sora moved, sprinting across the space. A line of vines exploded from the ground behind him. He skidded across the ground, bracing himself.

Flower-like Heartless emerged from the ground, stems twisted, bead eyes watching him, jagged jaws curved into wicked smiles. They pulled beneath the ground again.

Sora leapt, crouching on a tree branch.

The vines snapped from the ground again, piercing the air, sending dirt and grass flying. Occasionally they struck the tree and removed pieces of bark. Some scratched Sora's face.

Something collided with Sora's shoulder, nearly unbalancing him. A bird Heartless soared away.

"Not you again."

The bird screeched. A companion joined it. They circled Sora's position.

He narrowed his eyes.

A vine exploded from the ground and broke the tree branch.

Sora yelped, tumbling. He righted himself and landed.

The ground rumbled.

Sora rolled away.

The vine erupted, dirt and stones showering Sora.

He spun, Kingdom Key singing, and slashing the plant.

It twitched, then blurred.

Sora blocked. The vine struggled, then pushed, sending him flying across the ground. He hit the earth and bounced once.

The ground grumbled.

He regained his footing and slid away.

Another vine emerged.

Sora used it to jump, avoiding the thorns, and leapt onto a higher branch.

The vine twisted, swinging at an opponent who wasn't there, then retreated.

The birds dove.

Sora transformed the Kingdom Key. The twin guns appeared in his hands, and he shot a few volleys of energy shots at the bird Heartless. They spiraled around them a few moments. A blast collided with one, knocking it from the air, and Sora followed with more volleys. The Heartless exploded into shadows, the heart drifting skyward.

The remaining bird screeched.

The plants appeared from below-ground. They shot small blasts of energy towards him.

Sora braced himself, then aimed and shot downwards.

The plants twitching, caught in his fire, and writhed, screeching, until they dissipated. Sora turned his weapons towards the remaining bird. It screamed, heart flying skyward, smoke wreathing the trees.

The guns changed form, and the Kingdom Key settled in Sora's hands. He remained tense a few moments more, then slumped, sighing. He glanced dubiously at a nearby tree, then leapt. He wobbled, and braced himself against the trunk. _Maybe it'd be better to walk._ He maneuvered around the branch's side, then reached out with his magic. The tendrils brushed over Heartless lurking further in the woods. A larger signature pulsed. A quiet growl and antagonistic darkness echoed through his consciousness.

Sora noted the location, then released the magic with a tired grin. He scrambled down the tree and hurried into the forest.

 **-Emi** held her Keyblade tightly, walking on stiff legs.

Riku moved a few paces ahead, glancing around. They'd only traveled a short distance into the woods, staying on the perimeter of the village. Riku stopped.

Some Shadows emerged from the ground.

Riku moved, cutting through the small Heartless quickly.

Emi jumped.

Riku held Way to the Dawn to the side. "Well, there's our first sign." He glanced deeper into the forest. "Emi. Go into the village and ask around. See if the people near here have had a lot of trouble with the Heartless. Talk to the knights, specifically, and see if different spots have had less trouble."

"But—"

Riku glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

Emi dipped her head. "R-right. I'll go." She turned and hurried through the trees.

Few people walked around the village streets. Smoke spiraled from some small houses. Two knights stood, hands on their swords, near the village's edge.

Emi approached them. "Excuse me."

The knights glanced towards her.

Emi took a deep breath and straightened. "H-hello. My master is helping with the—the Heartless. We, um, we wanted to know if you saw a lot of Heartless in this area."

The knights exchanged glances.

"Um, and if others had less?"

One of the knights turned towards her slowly. "We've had trouble everywhere, kid. It's pretty quiet now."

Emi nodded, quickly.

"I haven't been posted anywhere besides here, so I couldn't tell you."

The other knight added, "I'm new." He sheepishly rubbed his neck.

The first knight narrowed his eyes. "What's a kid doing out fighting these 'Heartless,' anyways?"

"I-I'm a Keyblade wielder in training!" Emi stood straighter and lifted her Keyblade.

"Right."

Emi took a deep breath and moved past them. "I'll find other knights, then!" She hesitated. "U-um, but. Have you seen a red-haired boy?"

"Going to have to be more specific, kid."

"He's about my height. Golden eyes. Um." She fidgeted with her shirt. "Probably looking for Heartless?"

A heavy pause stretched between them. "Kid," the knight said slowly, "why don't you go find a place to stay for a while?"

Emi tilted her head.

"We'll keep an eye out for your friend, alright? But hole up somewhere safe."

She heard the words the knight didn't say: _If he's found the Heartless, he's probably not alive._ Something shivered from her chest and clenched her throat. Cold ran down her neck and arms.

The knights turned away from her.

Emi took a step towards them, then paused. She took a shaky breath, then turned and moved further into the village.

 **-Kiritsugu** didn't know what to do.

He lay in the hospital bed. Avalon pulsed faintly inside him. His chest ached.

People whispered outside the room. He just barely caught snippets of conversation: "He's completely healed. He should be discharged."

"He's still suffering from mental trauma. Give him time."

Kiritsugu inhaled and exhaled slowly. Flames licked his neck and back. Blood spattered his face. An anguished screamed filled his ears.

 _Was it worth it?_

Sludge poured from the corrupted grail, high above him. Ash coated his arms and stuck to the back of his throat. The shattered remains of his broken dreams slipped through his fingers and tumbled into the twisted metal and raw, hot earth. He shook, on his knees, and pressed his palms against his eyes, closing them.

Someone asked, "How are you today, Kiritsugu?"

His eyes snapped open, joy he hadn't known he could still feel flooding his chest, then blinked. White surrounded him. The bed he lay on seemed too cool, too clean. The sheets seemed suffocating, but he didn't feel inclined to move. _A hospital,_ his mind supplied. _You're in a hospital._

A kindly man sat beside him, dressed in white, a clipboard balanced on his knee.

Kiritsugu looked away.

"You're crying. Did something happen?"

Kiritsugu breathed in and out, slowly. His chest still hurt.

"Do you remember who I am?"

"Doctor Fujimoto."

"Yes. Do you remember who you are?"

"Kiritsugu Emiya. Twenty-nine years old. Former free-lancer." _Husband to Irisviel, now deceased. Father to Illyasviel. Former Master of Saber._ _Failure._

"Good." The man scribbled something on his clipboard. "Can you sit up?"

Kiritsugu obeyed mechanically.

"Good, good. Extend your arms? Flex your fingers?"

Kiritsugu obeyed.

The doctor examined his vitals, then wrote something else. "It's a nice day out today. Sunny. Warm. Do you want to go for a walk?"

Heat suffocated him and he found it difficult to breathe. He stared, blankly, at the man's face amidst flames. "I can't."

"Oh? We don't have to go out. It's alright. Take your time."

"I can't save." His voice cracked. He wanted to reach this man—to pull him free from those flames—but he couldn't will his body to move.

"Can't save?"

" _Anyone._ "

Gently the man said, "Can you tell me where you are?"

He stared. "I'm—" The flames faded. The bed materialized. "In the hospital."

"Yes. Right here. You're not in the fire. You don't have to worry anymore."

Kiritsugu leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, and clasped his hands.

"Do you have any family?"

Kiritsugu's clasped hands tightened.

"I can contact them, if you would like. You mutter in your sleep sometimes. About 'Iri' and 'Illya.'"

Kiritsugu tensed. _Who are you to ask these things? What have you been through? You've seen nothing. You can't save me. Like I couldn't save them._

"Were they in the fire?" The man's voice fell, quiet.

Kiritsugu's voice came out as a hoarse, dry whisper: "Shut up."

"What was that?"

" _Shut up_."

Silence descended. A clock ticked quietly. The man cleared his throat. "I can leave, if you'd like. But I'm worried about you, Kiritsugu."

Kiritsugu closed his eyes.

"If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to contact us. In fact, if you have _any_ relatives nearby—" He stopped, as if realizing he'd hit a sore subject.

Kiritsugu didn't want to answer. He didn't want to move. But some dull, dead part of him forced a ragged, "Raiga Fujimura."

"Oh? Relation?"

Kiritsugu kept his eyes closed.

The man stood. "Well, I'll contact him, then." His footsteps receded.

Kiritsugu sat there for a long while, thinking nothing, his eyes clenched closed.

"Oh," an unfamiliar voice whispered, "what a pity. I guess you'll never get your daughter back this way."

His eyes snapped open. His survival instinct screamed at him to be wary.

A cloaked figure watched from the shadows. "And here I thought you wanted to see her again."

Kiritsugu reacted automatically, reaching for a gun that wasn't there.

The figure disappeared.

 **-"Well,"** Merlin said, "I have some business in the castle today. I do hope Arthur's still taking his studying seriously. He may be an adult now—and a king, no less—but he's certainly got a lot to learn still."

Shirou trailed behind.

"Is something the matter, Shirou?"

"No."

Merlin sighed. "He's only doing it for your own good. You really aren't ready to be facing Heartless yet. You'll be safer with me. We can work on your magic some in the castle."

Shirou nodded and clenched his fists.

Something wisped beside him.

Shirou slowed. The shadows shifted, and he tensed.

The black-haired girl emerged.

Shirou frowned.

The girl waved, then gestured.

Shirou glanced at Merlin, a few paces ahead, then back to the girl. He relaxed slowly.

The girl walked after Merlin, occasional sunlight distorting her form.

Shirou hesitated, then moved, walking at the girl's side.

* * *

 _And that's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Zephyroths:** Yep.

 **Jebest4781:** Things certainly aren't going to be easy for him.

 **DPSS:** Not exactly.

 **KadoyaOkami:** Don't think 'crashing and burning' will happen (probably), but there's certainly some things to be worked out.

 **Catasros:** Thanks! As far as magic goes, it's certainly going to take a different form than his canon counterpart's.

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed. Not good for Sora, though.

 **Aladdinina Magi:** That's probably an appropriate reaction, considering he's not the most…forgiving individual.

 **Aburg76:** Well, she can't send Archer after him, per say, since she can't send her Guardians off world, but should Sora return to Gaia…well…

 **animesguardianangel:** It's certainly going to take some interesting forms in the future. As for the corruption, I wouldn't say that Gaia is _entirely_ corrupted, just that the corruption is eating away at that part of the world more…but Alaya being willing to do anything to stop it is completely accurate. Haha, there's actually more of a reason for Alaya to be upset about this Shirou being stolen, though.

 **Parks98:** I hear Alaya referred to as 'female' a lot, so I guess that's what I kind of went with? Anyway, yeah, she has quite a lot on her plate, all things considered. For the whole thing about Purge being what altered Shirou's element/origin, that's partially correct; there's also the fact that Shirou had direct contact with the Keyblade, which has strong connections to the heart. UBW's presence in Shirou's Awakening, however, isn't due to a sword-related origin element; it's actually related to something else, though I don't think I can say much about it just yet. (Heart's the only origin/element he has in this story.)

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Probably because he may have that misfortune.

 **Initiumi:** Thanks! Yep, that was Xion, and you'll probably be seeing more of her as the story progresses. (And Shirou's probably going to confuse everyone for a while talking about her.) The whole 'please your master' thing _is_ meant to be concerning, but that's actually more due to Shirou's warping from the fire rather than hearing someone's inner voice. Shirou _does_ actually have an extremely malleable heart at this point, for several reasons: he's still a child, he was broken in the fire, and he has a focus on 'heart' magic. Because he can't really use magic that well yet, he's thankfully not attuning himself too much to others, but if he started doing so without a firm grasp on who _he_ is, it'd be very easy for him to turn to darkness, or just lose what's left of himself entirely. Haha, true, Archer does have that Xehanort coloring (though Shirou has the eyes), but I'll confirm that no, Xehanort never made Shirou a vessel at any point.

 _Anything you liked/disliked? I always appreciate reviews, so please let me know!_


	15. Challenges

_Chapter fifteen is up! Thank you Jebest4781, reality deviant, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Sceonn, Mythfan, DPSS, KadoyaOkami, ultima-owner, a guest, animesguardianangel, and Parks98 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifteen: Challenges**

Emi shifted. She glanced towards the village entrance, then knocked on the shack's door.

Someone muttered. The door swung open, a stocky, angry-looking man glaring out. "What?"

"I-I was wondering what you knew about the Heartless—um, spirits."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Why are you asking?"

"My master's fighting them."

"Fighting, huh?" He rubbed his chin. "Should just leave it to the professionals."

"My master _is_ a professional!"

"Yeah? Well, good for him. Hope he doesn't die." The man slammed the door shut.

Emi stared. Her hands curled into fists. She turned abruptly.

 _Hope he doesn't die._ An image of Shirou falling to the Heartless, Keyblade falling useless, beside him, burned into her mind, and she bit her lip, half-turned towards the village entrance. She started to head away, then hesitated. She took a deep breath and whipped around, moving purposefully towards the entrance. _I'll just tell Riku that I couldn't find anything! And then maybe I'll tell him about Shirou, and—_

Something sounded behind her.

The hair lifted on her neck. Her legs locked. She turned, slowly.

A dark shape edged towards her. Yellow eyes glimmered from a black skull.

Emi stared. All thought stopped.

The creature crept towards her.

Someone shouted distantly, "Kid, move!"

The Shadow lunged.

A sword swept towards the Heartless, flinging it away. "Kid! Kid! Snap out of it!" Someone shook her.

Emi blinked, eyes still wide, and turned towards the knight.

A helmet covered his head, hiding his expression. "Get going! Find shelter."

Emi's gaze fixed on the Heartless.

"Go!" The knight pushed her.

Emi stumbled, then, as if her legs had minds of their own, began running. Riku's reminder that she could go to the castle if the situation proved too much echoed through her mind, and she moved there, her breath catching in her throat, legs moving almost too quickly and nearly collapsing beneath her.

 **-Sora** slashed. "Out of my way!" The Heartless exploded into smoke. He moved, sprinting further into the woods. _Okay, I know this thing was somewhere near here._

A growl sounded from the trees.

Sora skidded to a halt and settled into a fighting stance.

A massive Heartless exploded from the trees. Long arms, massive hands tipped with claws, braced the ground, supporting a large upper body. Its small legs dragged after it. Its massive head—horned, fanged jaw, short snout with a bat-like nose—bent towards Sora.

He edged back.

The Heartless screeched. Darkness dripped from its jaws, creating smaller Heartless where it landed.

Sora grinned mirthlessly, sweat running down his cheek. "Alright. No messing around."

The Heartless swept a large claw towards him.

Sora jumped and landed on the claw. He raced up its length.

The Heartless flung its arm back.

Sora dug his Keyblade into the black flesh.

The creature screeched.

Sora released the Kingdom Key, skidding down the Heartless's arm and landing on its head. He re-summoned the Keyblade and stabbed it through the eye. "Purge!"

Light exploded around the eye. The Heartless roared, scrabbling at its head.

Sora grimaced, nearly crushed by a claw, and adjusted his position, dragging his Keyblade with him. Light arced after his Keyblade, dragging a long line of darkness from the eye. The creature shuddered, the darkness dancing from the eye and twisting around the light.

A bird Heartless soared towards him.

The magic broke. Light and darkness scattered in broken, fragmented pieces through the air. Sora slashed at the bird, but it flew higher, out of range.

The larger Heartless landed, shaking its head and nearly throwing Sora free.

Sora jumped, transforming his Keyblade and sending a volley of bullets towards the smaller Heartless. Some resisted the blasts for a while, then exploded into smoke. _Good. That'll give me some more time._

The large Heartless turned and reared.

Sora morphed his Keyblade back. He prepared a Shotlock, the preparation ticking rapidly.

The Heartless's jaws snapped open.

 _Not fast enough!_

The Heartless's mouth closed around Sora. He prepared to release the Shotlock, but the Heartless's tongue disrupted him, and he fell. He jabbed his Keyblade into something soft, his other hand struggling to slow his descent. Something sticky and cold crept along his arm.

Sora jerked it free. Uncomfortable memories shivered through him, of living in this darkness once, consumed by instinct and an insatiable hunger for more hearts, of pain and raw, wild emotions pounding through a corrupted heart.

"Is that my memory, or is it from you?" Sora whispered.

The darkness shot towards him.

Sora flipped, the attack grazing his back. He winced. _No time to get sentimental now._ "Purge!" Light illuminated the small area. A scream rumbled from deep within the Heartless, and it shook itself.

Something bubbled down the creature's throat.

 _What is that?_

Darkness surged towards him.

 _Crap._ He released his Keyblade and activated his magic. He jumped. Small portions of magic channeled to his feet, allowing him to leap from side to side across the Heartless's throat, making his way back to the mouth. He summoned the Kingdom Key. _Come on. Just a little faster._

The darkness licked his heels.

He released a battle cry and pushed, slashing. The Kingdom Key bashed the Heartless's closed jaws.

The creature roared, jaws snapping open.

Sora righted himself, trying to use his magic to slow his slide down the Heartless's tongue. His foot landed awkwardly, and he plunged into darkness.

 **-Shirou** followed Merlin. Occasionally his eyes slipped towards the black-haired girl, still silent, still walking beside him.

Merlin pointed towards the castle. "That's where we're going."

Shirou followed the finger and nodded.

Someone shouted. People clad in heavy armor raced down the streets towards them.

Merlin frowned. "What's got them all in a tussle? Excuse me! Sir, hold on!"

One of the knights slowed to regard him.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"The spirits—er, Heartless. They've appeared in the village. Citizens should seek shelter."

"Citizens? I'll have you know I am the Great Merlin, former tutor to the king and master of magic. Although," he glanced towards Shirou, voice taking a gentler tone, "it might be best for you, Shirou. We were heading to the castle anyways. Perhaps you can seek shelter there."

Shirou nodded.

Merlin hurried him towards the castle. The village seemed eerily silent. Nobody walked the streets. The only sounds were the knights moving, clanking between houses. Shirou contrasted it to the last dead city he'd seen, where sound had been everywhere, everything busy and moving and warm. Merlin took Shirou across a drawbridge towards large, wooden doors.

Two guards blocked the way. "Halt! No one is to enter the castle."

Merlin said, "I'm a friend of the king's. And I'm not here for me." He gestured to Shirou.

"Sorry, sir, but we can't risk the Heartless getting inside."

"Bah! The Heartless can just bypass you, you realize?"

"Well—"

The door opened. "Merlin? Is that you?"

"Arthur! Will you talk some sense into your guards?"

One of the knights said, "Your Majesty, you should be inside."

Arthur frowned, then focused on Merlin. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"Yes. Well, I heard about your little issue, and thought I should stop by."

Shirou glanced away, towards the black-haired girl.

She watched, expression unreadable.

He frowned, about to ask a question, when someone gasped. Something collided with his back, and he stumbled. Arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "Uh?"

"Sh-Shirou! You're alright."

"Emi?"

"Oh?" Arthur glanced around Merlin. "What do we have here?"

"Yes, yes, of course. This is Shirou, Sora's apprentice. Have you met Sora? I'm sure I've mentioned him, but I don't know if you've seen him. The girl—"

"Is Master Riku's apprentice. They were here not long ago, asking about the Heartless."

Shirou twisted.

Emi's body shook. Something wet soaked his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry! I sh-should've stopped you. I should've gone after you, or told Riku, or—" She stopped. She released Shirou, backing away, eyes wide. "Riku."

Shirou frowned.

Emi turned wide, pleading eyes to Arthur. "Riku's still out fighting. Um, he's probably fine, but." She fidgeted with her shirt, averting her eyes.

Arthur said, "We'll keep an eye out for him. I'm assuming you were coming, Merlin?"

"Yes."

Arthur turned to the guards. "These two will be staying in the castle. They can stay in one of the extra rooms, for now."

The guards stood straighter. "Sir!"

Arthur and Merlin left. Arthur walked straight towards the black-haired girl, and Shirou expected him to stop, but he continued. The girl's form distorted as he passed through her.

Shirou blinked. "Are you a ghost?"

The girl smiled wryly. "Kind of."

One of the guards asked, "Who are you talking to?"

Shirou glanced at them.

"I guess it doesn't matter. Come on, get inside."

They ushered the two Keyblade apprentices through the door. They moved silently. The guards led them to a small waiting room. "Stay here. Don't come out unless someone tells you to." The door shut.

Shirou stood awkwardly, looking around the room. The black-haired girl had vanished. A small table and two chairs sat, nearly centered, with a flickering lantern placed on the table's center. Miscellaneous metal and wooden parts lay stacked in a corner. A few books were piled near the door.

Emi settled near the books, dragging one from the pile.

Shirou inspected the metal.

Emi whispered, "I'm not a very good apprentice, am I?"

"Huh?"

Emi stared at the open book. "I ran from the Heartless."

"Okay."

"I ran when I'm supposed to _fight_ them."

Shirou tilted his head.

Emi flashed him a look, then sighed. "I'm worried about Riku."

"So go help him."

"E-eh?"

"What?"

"But—the Heartless—"

Shirou frowned. "I can go."

"What? No!" Emi stood in front of the door, arms outstretched. "You'll get hurt!"

"Yeah, but," momentarily the room seemed to burn, Emi's face covered in ash, "is that a big deal?"

Emi's eyes widened.

Something sounded outside the door.

Both stiffened.

Emi turned.

Shirou asked, "What was that?"

"U-um. I think we should get away from the door."

"Why?"  
Emi turned a pale face towards Shirou. "It sounded like it might have been a Heartless."

 **-Kiritsugu** sat. His coat lay across his lap. The sheets on the hospital bed lay crumpled at the edge.

An elderly man appeared in the doorway. He knocked with a wry smile.

"Raiga."

"Hello, Kiritsugu. I must admit, I didn't expect to come see you _here_ of all places."

"Times change."

Raiga pulled a chair near his bed and sat. "Well. The doctors said they found you in the fire."

"Yes."

"What were you doing there?"

Kiritsugu clasped his hands and didn't answer.

Raiga sighed. "I won't pry. You've got your business, and I've got mine, and I suppose that's not actually why I'm here. Feel up to heading home?"

A quiet sound rumbled in Kiritsugu's chest, and a vague, detached part of him realized he was laughing a dry, harsh laugh. "I suppose so."

Raiga eyed him. "I don't like that look. What are you up to?"

Kiritsugu stared across the room, out the door to the doctors conversing quietly in the hallway. "Did you know I had a family?"

"No, I didn't."

"My wife died." He hadn't expected his voice to catch. "But I still have a daughter. Illya."

"Nice name. I'm guessing you're going back to where she is?"

"Yes. But." He paused. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I might need help."

Raiga didn't speak, but Kiritsugu could almost hear the questions dancing through his skull.

"It might not come to that. But just in case, I wanted you to know."

Raiga huffed. "Well, you'd better come back in one piece, is all. Just a warning: don't you dare involve my granddaughter. In any of this. I've kept her as far as the family business as possible for a reason."

"Understood."

"Good. Now, I understand I have some papers to fill out for your release. If you're ready?"

Kiritsugu nodded.

"Good. I'll just be a moment." Raiga left, stopping to say something to the doctors.

"So," a voice said, "you _are_ going after her. I wonder how you'll fair?"

Kiritsugu turned towards the cloaked figure. "How do you know about my daughter?"

"Perhaps I have _memories_ of such things."

The way he said 'memories' led Kiritsugu to believe he wasn't speaking about memories in the conventional sense. He forced himself to relax, breathing slowly.

"It's always so interesting, to see how your kind can act so autonomously. I suppose that's why I became fascinated with the subject in the first place."

"Subject?"

"Can't say too much. I'm here by permission only. My host will kick me out the moment I do something she doesn't like." The figure tilted his head. "Perhaps I'll see you around sometime." Dark tendrils wrapped around his legs.

Kiritsugu moved.

The figure disappeared.

Kiritsugu stood a moment, one hand still outstretched. His fingers slowly closed on air.

Raiga returned. "Well, everything's—hm? Something wrong?"

"No. It's nothing." He put on his coat. "I'm ready. Let's go."

 **-Aqua** rubbed her eyes. "Have you found anything?"

Mickey shook his head. "Gosh, I didn't think it'd be so hard to learn about sentient worlds."

Aqua nodded and closed her book. "Maybe we aren't looking in the right places."

"Was there anything else you can think of related to sentient worlds?"

Aqua shook her head. "I guess their hearts probably work more like ours. Maybe," she stopped. "Mickey. Do you remember the Puppet Master?"

"Hmm? Well, yeah. That was the guy that attacked a year after Xehanort." His eyes widened. "You think he might know about sentient worlds?"

"Besides Sora, he's the only living person I know who can directly connect to a world's heart."

"Sora, Riku, Kairi, and you locked him in the Realm of Sleep, right?"

Aqua nodded.

"But how are you going to get there? I don't know the magic as well as Master Yen Sid did, and I don't think Sora wants to risk him getting out again."

"I don't, either. But it's the only other option I can think of. Besides," she smiled, "I've always been good at magic. I'm sure I can do some studying in the Land of Departure and figure it out."

"I still don't like it, Aqua."

Aqua knelt. "If you really think it's going to be a problem, I can find another way."

Mickey still looked concerned, but he shook his head. "I trust you. I just remember how you were after—after what happened in the Second Keyblade War, and how Sora and the others were after fighting the Puppet Master the first time."

Aqua's heart tightened. "It'll be fine. I won't let something like that happen again." She hesitated, then continued, quieter, "But now that you mention it, is it alright if I visit them?"

"Of course."

Aqua smiled, but her eyes burned. "Thank you."

"Do you want someone with you?"

"No. I'm fine. I've had almost eleven years to come to terms with things." She stood. "I'll see you before I leave."

Mickey nodded. "See you, old friend."

* * *

 _...You know, Camelot was supposed to be done this chapter. Guess that'll happen next chapter, then. I'm not sure how happy I actually am with this chapter; parts I like, parts I don't. Anywho, review responses:_

 **Jebest4781:** Indeed.

 **reality deviant:** Don't worry; while Kiritsugu's not the main focus of the story, he's certainly going to get plenty of parts to shine.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Yeah, probably best not to trust that guy.

 **Sceonn:** No, just the normal, though going near her right after probably wasn't his best idea. To be fair, though, she didn't actually lead him to the Heartless; he just kind of found them.

 **Mythfan:** …I'm not entirely sure what that is.

 **DPSS:** The sword thing is, in large part, due to the Keyblade. He's still following the path of the warrior. (Also done as a mythology gag.) UBW's heavy influence in Shirou is…difficult to explain without spoilers. Let's just say that Shirou's nature differs quite a bit from most of the characters he interacts with.

 **KadoyaOkami:** Mm-hm, it should be! And maybe~

 **ultima-owner:** She's not exactly human, no; she's a puppet made by Vexen to absorb Sora's memories and essentially become his clone (in very basic terms). She's also not entirely alive at this point.

 **Guest:** That's actually a really interesting idea! I think it's probably going to happen the other way around, though; he'll be meeting some of these characters in these worlds, and will be totally confused when he meets the versions from his home world. (Granted, he _does_ have some residue, so to speak, from his home world, though that's probably not how it'll be read for a while.)

 **animesguardianangel:** Well, Alaya herself isn't messing with Kiritsugu, but she's allowing someone else to do so. You'll probably get more of Emi's character development next chapter (since, you know, she kind of has a younger apprentice to protect now). Not sure at what point you'll be getting her back story, but I'm thinking it'll probably be soon. Alaya isn't so much concerned with the fact that Shirou _himself_ was taken, but more with the fact that anyone was taken at all, specifically by a Keyblader. (The fact that Shirou becomes one of her Counter Guardians just kind of makes it more of a slap in the face.) Yeah, wasn't sure, but I think I've just seen her portrayed as female so often in Fanfiction that I accepted it as canon.

 **Parks98:** Thanks!

 _Anything you have to say about the chapter? Reviews are always welcome!_


	16. Darkness

_So here's the next chapter. Thank you reality deviant, animesguardianangel, Mythfan, Parks98, ultima-owner, OrionGold, Selias, brave kid, Masterx01, and Kamen Rider Ebon for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixteen: Darkness**

Riku slashed. A Shadow dissipated, falling beneath his Keyblade.

More Heartless stalked from the forest.

Riku backpedaled. He lifted his Keyblade and fired a Dark Firaga. Several Heartless exploded into smoke. He glanced behind him. _Emi's been gone a while. Did she head back to the castle?_

He turned, striking a lunging wolf twice, then stabbing.

The Heartless dissipated.

Two knights fought on either side of him, cutting through Heartless with their swords.

Riku beckoned. "Do you know if we're getting reinforcements?"

"Hopefully. We sent someone to the castle with a message."

"Good. Change of plans."

"Huh?"

One of the knights eyed him. "We take orders from our king, not you."

Riku speared a Heartless, then jabbed his blade towards the forest. "Do you want these guys to overrun us?"

The knights exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

"Back into the village."

"What?"

"We're making a barrier. Back into the village." Riku reached for his magic and pulled away.

The knights followed.

"Find water and have it ready! Find out if anyone's in the buildings closest to the forest and get them out."

"But—"

Riku flashed him a dark glare.

"Fine."

Riku skidded to a halt and turned, lifting his Keyblade. "Fire!" He launched a string of fireballs in a line, just in front of the village entrance. The grass ignited, crackling in a barrier in front of him.

A few Heartless ran into the wall, screeching.

"Aero." The wind spell swirled around him, distorting the flames. He backed up slightly when the flames flickered wildly and allowed the swirling winds to stir them higher and further. _Not controlled enough. Not high enough. But it'll distract them, and hopefully provide enough light to keep the Shadows from slipping beneath._ Riku channeled a small amount of magic to his feet and scaled a building. He observed the Heartless, then leapt again, activating a shot lock. The attack charged, then fired, sending a rain of light-and-dark energy blasts towards the Heartless. The area around the barrier flooded with pink hearts and dark smoke.

Riku landed and crouched. No new Heartless approached the barrier, though eyes still glimmered in the woods. The Heartless that spawned in the village were cut down by the knights.

Bird Heartless soared overhead, diving towards him, screeching.

Riku slashed, temporarily driving them away.

They circled overhead.

Riku channeled some magic to his feet and legs, then leapt. He rose above the Heartless, then spun, cutting through one and landing on another. He stabbed the creature's skull.

The knights he'd sent reappeared, carrying water buckets.

Riku shouted, "If the fire gets close to the building, put it out! I'll help with Blizzard spells, but I'm trying to conserve my magic."

The knights nodded. One pursed his lips, but turned away.

Riku braced himself, glancing hesitantly back towards the village. "Both of you, patrol along the fire. The three of us will focus on the area outside the village. The other knights should keep an eye on what's going on inside." He eyed the birds. "And I'll start by getting rid of these two."

 **-Emi** summoned her Keyblade.

Shirou moved towards the door.

She caught his arm.

"Shouldn't we fight them?"

Emi shook her head. "You might lose your heart."

Shirou blinked. He placed a hand over his chest, looking down. "Right. But aren't Keybladers supposed to fight Heartless?"

Emi knew the answer was 'yes,' but snapped her lips shut, the words caught in her throat.

Shirou glanced at her.

Suddenly she remembered that she was older, that she'd been an apprentice longer, that she'd probably had more experience with Heartless than Shirou even if none of it was good. _That means I'm in charge._ Her hand shook.

Shirou frowned.

Something dark slinked under the door.

Emi yelped, stumbling backwards, tugging Shirou with her. They tumbled, colliding with chairs.

The darkness pooled upwards into a twitching, bug-eyed Shadow, antenna curled over its head. Its jerky head tilted to the side, and it skittered towards them, half-hopping, half-crawling.

Emi stared. Something cold traveled up her arms and froze in her elbows. It turned her ribs to ice that cracked beneath her pounding heart. Darkness hemmed a floating pink heart, as glassy as the ice beneath her fingertips, and covered her face.

Her Keyblade weighed heavily in her hand, and she clutched it like an anchor. _It's not real. It's not real._

The Heartless lunged.

A blade slashed it, forcing the stunned Heartless back.

Shirou stood, shaking, holding Vir. He gripped it with both hands and mimicked Sora's stance.

The ice melted, and Emi recalled where she was. Heat flooded her face. _You shouldn't have to save me._

The Heartless recovered and faced them again.

Emi jerked, then scrambled to her feet, pulling Shirou away.

"H-hey!"

"Y-you can't fight them, alright? You just started!"

"But they're here anyways."

Emi looked at her Keyblade, then the door. "M-maybe we can keep them out."

"What about—"

Emi closed her eyes and focused on her magic. She pointed in the general direction she thought the Heartless was. "Light!" The inside of her eyelids illuminated. She moved, screaming a battle cry, and slashed. The tell-tale sound of a Heartless's death rang through her ears. She opened her eyes, breathing in deeply, slightly light-headed. Her chest hurt.

"Emi?"

She reached into her pocket and withdrew a long, black cloth. She smiled, lop-sided. "Riku gave this to me. To, um, help me. If I don't see the Heartless, then they're less scary. B-but first, we should block the door. I think."

"They can get under it."

Emi lifted her Keyblade, holding it with both hands, and pointed it towards the crack beneath the door. "Blizzard!" She fired two spells. The crystals froze along the gap. She lowered her Keyblade. "F-fire would work better. No shadows. But." She looked at the room.

Shirou stared.

She shifted, then placed the bandana over her eyes, tying it tightly.

Her stuttering heart slowed.

"Ready?"

She nodded. "Ready."

 **-The** ice, as it turned out, wasn't very effective at keeping the Heartless from slipping beneath the door.

The small, bug-like ones—the ones Emi told Shirou were 'Shadows'—managed to get through without much trouble. Shirou smacked one with Vir, slamming it into a wall.

"Blizzard!" The ice blast brushed Shirou's face and struck a Heartless, disintegrating it.

Shirou pulled away. His arms drooped; Vir clunked the floor, and he forced himself to lift the Keyblade higher. He slashed another Shadow, twice, forcing it back. It dived into the darkness.

Emi asked, "Are they gone?"

"One's in the floor."

Emi yelped, jumping.

Shirou glanced at the lantern, then took it, following the shadow.

It twitched, moving away.

Shirou moved, blocking its path.

The shadow twitched again and moved.

"Shirou? Where is it? Is everything okay?"

Shirou didn't answer. He blocked the shadow's path again, slowly guiding it towards the door.

"Shirou!"

The shadow slid beneath the door.

Shirou placed the lantern there and shuffled quickly away.

Emi lifted part of the blindfold, single visible eye glassy.

"You said fire would work better."

She blinked, looked at the lantern, then laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. That, um, probably won't keep them out forever. They could just appear in here, really." Her expression appeared nervous a moment, then thoughtful. She pushed the blindfold up, then went to the table and tipped it on its side. She dragged it back to a corner. She grabbed a chair, struggling with it, and awkwardly tried to lift it over the table.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a fort." The chair tipped over the top, and she went back for the second.

"Okay?"

"We can see the Heartless coming that way. A-and better defend ourselves. Except maybe from Shadows." She blushed, but pushed the chair over the table. "That's what the chairs are for, anyways."

"Oh. Should we put the lantern under them?"

Emi paused, her expression shifting to something nervous, then shook her head. "It'll keep them out longer. Um." She pointed to the wood and metal bits in the other corner. "Maybe we can use some of that?"

Shirou nodded. He released Vir and collected a few metal parts, arranging them around the table.

Emi watched the door. Her Keyblade quivered.

Shirou pushed rusted gauntlets and boots into gaps and balanced an old, dented shield between the table and one of the chairs. He found sound broken pieces of interlinked armor—her couldn't remember the name, but he had the vague impression he'd seen it before, maybe in books—and draped that by the shield. "Is this good?"  
Emi jumped. She turned, then flashed a nervous smile towards him. She released her Keyblade and scrambled over the table, helping Shirou up. She crouched on a chair and pulled her blindfold down.

The two remained there, silent, in relative darkness, while the lantern flickered near the door's edge.

 **-Darkness** surrounded him. It wreathed his skin, tugging his hair, slowly wrapping around his arms and legs.

 _This is familiar._

He couldn't see, but when he extended a hand, he imagined long claws, shrouded by dark tendrils.

 _I've been here before._

The darkness tapped his heart, for a moment he stared at Riku and Kairi, who watched warily, hands raised, mouths moving and speaking words he didn't understand. The ghost of a primal, terrifying hunger and aggression filled his chest. A hiss, almost unrecognizable as human, whispered through his ears.

 _Right. That was me._

He smiled. _Sorry. I figured out how to deal with this._

 _"Are you sure?"_

The words echoed faintly through his memories, and the smile fell. _Yes._ He moved his arm, dragging it through sticky, heavy darkness. He stretched his hand far to one side, then spun it, stabbing downwards. "Purge!"

Light exploded around him, freeing him of the darkness. The streaks obliterated everything around it, sight, sound; an agonized roar faded into the background. Ringing filled the space. Sora placed his free hand on the Kingdom Key's guard.

The light faded slowly. The forest returned. The ringing faded slowly.

Sora released a heavy breath. "Well, being inside the Heartless made that easier. Hopefully that'll clear things up." He released the Kingdom Key and scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'd better get back to Merlin's. Hopefully he's handling Shirou okay."

 **-Riku** leapt, flashing through the air, slashing a Heartless.

A knight stepped behind him and cut down another.

Riku nodded his thanks, then slashed, Way to the Dawn ripping through a Shadow.

A Fire spell shot past him.

He paused.

"Well," Merlin huffed, "it seems like you've gotten yourself into trouble again, eh, Riku?"

"You're our reinforcements?"

"That sounds like an insult. I'm old, not incompetent. Besides, those buffoons came, as well." Merlin pointed to the knights swarming past them.

Riku nodded, panting. "Good. King Arthur wasn't kidding about how many Heartless there were."

"No, unfortunately it seems he wasn't. But it looks like you've taken care of most of them." Merlin motioned for Riku to step aside.

He moved away and wiped his chin.

"Let the knights take care of the remainder."

"I can't. This is my responsibility."

"Look." He gestured. A few Shadows and wolves attacked from the forest's edge, but the knights herded them away from the village, slashing at the Heartless. "There are enough to handle them. Why don't you go to your apprentice? She seemed rather upset when I last saw her."

"You knew where she is? Is she alright?"

"Yes, fine. Scared, but unharmed. She wanted us to come after you."

Riku released a heavy breath.

"She's in the castle."

Riku released his Keyblade and ran.

 **\- The** graveyard, Aqua decided, was really more of a garden. The small, secluded spot held budding flowers and vibrant grass. Minnie had planted a maple tree recently; the sapling had hardly grown, it seemed, still sitting squat, shadows hardly stretching, but Aqua knew it would eventually cast welcome shade. A few birds hoped about the pink-and-white-and-yellow flowers. One chittered quietly. If it weren't for the two headstones—still well-kept, their words still clear—and the wayfinders draped over each, Aqua knew she could've easily forgotten the place's meaning.

Sheknelt, sunlight slanting across her legs. "Hey. I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while. I've been pretty busy. All of us have." She brushed dust off the gravestone. "Mickey and Minnie seem to keep you pretty clean, though. They even left flowers.

"Sora got an apprentice, you know. Rai and Emi are both great at magic. Melody is," she stopped and laughed, "well, she's energetic, at least. I think you two would've gotten along." She touched the green wayfinder. "I think they'll all make great Keyblade Masters, one day. Our group's grown since Xehanort."

She lifted her wayfinder. It glowed faintly, echoed by its siblings.

She smiled and dropped it. "I don't have a long time to stay. I really should be getting back to the Land of Departure."

She didn't move, and for a long time knelt there, silently. She brushed dust that was hardly there from the wayfinders, the graves, arranged the flowers. She sat. Sunlight warmed her arms and face; the wind gently tugged her hair. Her hands shook, and she curled them against her legs. "Yeah. I'm doing fine."

She smiled. "I'll talk to you again soon." She stood slowly and brushed her legs.

Minnie watched from the castle. "You're leaving?"

Aqua nodded.

"Be safe."

"Of course. I promise I'll let you both know what's going on soon." She bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Minnie giggled. "You know you don't need to do that with us, Aqua. You're family."

Aqua straightened and flashed a small, sad smile. She summoned her armor and glider, shooting into the sky.

* * *

… _Ahaha…ah…this is the part where I hide in the corner. Ven and Terra were both intended to be dead from the beginning; they died in the battle against Xehanort, the actual mechanics of which will be revealed probably either next chapter or the one after, depending on how things go. I wanted to show that while Aqua still has lingering grief, she's mostly come to accept things and moved on (another reason to set this ten years later…), so I hope that came off._

…

 _A-anyway, review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** Thanks! Yeah, people will realize something's wrong eventually. As for Kiritsugu, while I doubt all of his scenes will be assassin mode—considering at this point he'd be pretty disillusioned with that—getting Illya out's probably going to have to be, all things considered.

 **animesguardianangel:** Thanks!

 **Mythfan:** Not quite, but fair guess.

 **Parks98:** Maybe the name's cursed. Blame the name. And yes, Xion's situation is rather interesting, to say the least!

 **ultima-owner:** That's probably an understatement for what just happened…

 **OrionGold:** You'll see~

 **Selias:** Actually, I'm pretty sure that there's a line about the Keyblade War dragging in other worlds that weren't originally part of the conflict (though I can't find it now). There _is_ this quote from Kingdom Hearts X, though, which takes place during the Keyblade War: "Various worlds are born in that light and so the light envelops them." (Source is KH Wiki, by the way.) My personal head-canon was always that there was one world to begin with, as well, but X kind of blew that out of the water.

 **brave kid:** Thanks! Hopefully this chapter lived up to expectations.

 **Masterx01:** Details in general, I'm assuming? I'll try to keep an eye on that. There _will_ be more character-related dialogue and relationship-building within the next few chapters (which I've really been looking forward to). As for Shirou, basically the reason he's not interacting much is for the same reason you said: it still hasn't been that long since the fire (couple of weeks), and I haven't had a good opportunity to advance things more quickly without making it…awkward and unnatural. For the Kirei fight, I envisioned Kirei as like the 'first boss fight' you'd face in a Kingdom Hearts game, and since Kirei is pretty powerful in his prime (he's one of the most powerful human characters in the Nasuverse), I figured the fight would actually be pretty close to even. For the mooks…that was actually me just trying to make the fight more interesting than 'one-shot everything,' which didn't turn out like what I'd hoped. As for the magic, Sora at this point wasn't sure how strong the Heartless was, and since Purge can take up quite a bit wanted to make sure that he could use the attack multiple times if needed.

 **Kamen Rider Ebon:** Maybe~

 _Any comments on the chapter? Please drop a review and let me know!_


	17. Our Scars

_-Slowly emerges from stack of papers, updates chapter, crawls back.-_

 _Thank you idea . getthe, Parks98, animesguardianangel, Mythfan, ultima-owner, blackfirekingkoncor, and Masterx01 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventeen: Our Scars**

Sora walked through the forest. Now that the threat was gone, and Shirou watched by Merlin, he allowed himself to relax. Though dark, a certain beauty imbued the woods. Small creatures bounded across the branches, chittering to each other. Every so often sunlight slanted through the trees and illuminated a path, dappling it in bright colors and contrasting the more subdued parts of the forest. The trees' dark bark were littered with fungus and mushrooms in an array of colors. Birds watched him, chittering quietly.

Merlin's cottage emerged from the trees. No smoke curled from the chimney, and Sora frowned. He pushed open the creaky wooden door.

No one milled about the house. The room seemed oppressively quiet.

Sora's head whipped around, and the Kingdom Key flashed into his hand. "Shirou? Merlin?"

A paper fluttered on the table.

Sora approached it, bracing it across the wood.

 _Sora,_

 _We've gone to the castle. If you come back before we return, you will find us there._

 _Merlin_

Sora released the Kingdom Key, and half-sighed, half-laughed, rubbing his head. "Right. Nothing's out of place. They're fine."

He still jogged along the path towards the village.

 **-Shirou's** legs ached. He shifted into a sitting position.

Emi, beside him, hugged her legs a little closer. She inhaled sharply.

Shirou frowned then, remembering she couldn't see him, asked, "Heartless?"

"Eh?" She jerked to attention, nearly slamming her head against the shield.

"Did you sense Heartless?"  
"N-no. Why, did you?"

"No."

"Oh." She relaxed. "That's good."

"They might be gone. We haven't seen them for a while."

Emi nodded. Her shoulders loosened and her grip grew slack. "Maybe we could check?"

Shirou clambered over the table.

"Wait—Shirou! I'm older, I should be the one!" The scrambled after him.

"But you don't like Heartless."

"Yeah." She shook her head. "But that doesn't matter!" Her hands shook, but she walked past him.

Shirou frowned, but shrugged and let the matter drop.

Emi took a shaky breath. "Okay. It's okay." She turned the doorknob. The ice cracked when she pulled the door open slightly. She pushed up the blindfold and peered outside. "I don't see them."

Shirou peered through the crack just above her.

The hall stretched ahead, empty.

Emi moved back, sighing, and closed the door. "I guess we wait for the knights to come back for us."

Shirou nodded.

A loud creak echoed through the door.

The apprentices exchanged glances. Shirou mouthed 'Heartless?'

Emi shook her head, but her face had paled.

"Emi?" a familiar voice shouted. "Emi, are you in here?"

"Riku?" Emi opened the door, peeking out.

The older Keyblader whipped towards them. "Emi!" He hurried towards her.

Emi exploded from the room and shot into Riku's arms, hugging him.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'm okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I understand. Besides, you got us reinforcements."

Shirou stood in the doorway, shifting and looking around.

Riku lifted his head. His eyes widened. "Shirou? Is Sora here?"

"Yeah."

"He is?" Emi yelped, staring owlishly.

"He came after me."

Riku held up a hand. "Came _after_?"

Shirou blinked. A part of him realized the admission may not have been a smart idea, and so he stopped talking.

"You snuck on board, didn't you?" He looked at Emi. "And you knew. That's why you were so fidgety when we left."

Emi turned red and looked away.

Riku continued, "You realize—both of you—how dangerous that was? Shirou, what would have happened if you'd faced a Heartless? And Emi, how would you feel if he'd gotten himself killed and you hadn't told me?"

Emi's head fell lower. "S-sorry."

Riku glanced towards him.

Shirou blinked, remembered Sora's anger, the Heartless reaching for his chest, and dipped his head. "Sorry."

Riku sighed. "You know, every apprentice seems to want to go out and start fighting Heartless right away. It's not as fun as you think, but if you're that anxious, focus on training first. It'll be worth it so you don't get yourself injured or worse, and can fight Heartless again later, right?"

Shirou blinked. "I wanted to learn magic."

"What?"

"Sora said he learned magic while fighting Heartless and traveling. So that's what I did."

Riku ran a hand through his hair. "If that was the problem, there's a simpler method. We could've just taken you to Aqua. She's an expert on the subject." He snorted. "Well, if Sora agrees, that is."

Shirou imagined he wouldn't, but continued, "Merlin taught me some things."

Riku raised an eyebrow. He sighed, turning back to Emi, and planted a hand on her head. "That's good, then." He stood. "Did Merlin bring you here?"

Shirou nodded.

"Then he's probably left a way for Sora to find you guys. We'd better stick around until he appears."

Emi asked, "What about the Heartless?"

"The knights had them mostly taken care of." He turned and motioned. "Come on. I'm pretty sure they have a library here."

Emi hurried after her mentor and, after a moment, so did Shirou.

The worn, stone hallways passed, girded in red and gold, lined with doors. Two suits of armor stood in front of wooden double-doors. Riku pushed them open. Book shelves stretched far into the back, illuminated by large windows. A few tables lay scattered near the shelves and in open spaces. A chair and pile of books were in one isle, as if someone had been forced to quit their reading early. Two ladders rested against the shelves.

Riku said, "Since Merlin taught King Arthur, he checks on him a lot, and encourages learning. That's why Arthur devoted this room to be a library."

Emi disappeared down an aisle.

Shirou scanned the bookshelves.

Riku pointed his chin. "Find something to read. It'll be more interesting than sitting in the hallway."

Shirou obeyed, trailing down an aisle. He looked at the books stacked by the chair and lifted one. _'The Uses of Herbs.'_ He replaced the book, then looked at the next: _'Flora and Fauna of Camelot,' 'The Use of Plants in Witchcraft,' 'Myths and Legends.'_ Shirou lifted the latter two and moved to a table.

Emi sat across from him, absorbed in a book, legs kicking, fists pressed against her cheeks.

Shirou placed the books beside him and slid the one on witchcraft in front of him. He scanned the pages, but the words were written in a language he didn't understand. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, narrowed them, then gave up and stared at the pictures. A woman stood over a cauldron, dropping leaves inside. Mim's image flashed through his mind. He shivered.

"Oh!" Emi exclaimed. "I know that one."

"Hm?"

Emi pointed to the other book. She set hers aside— _Fairytales_ was just visible on the covering, a golden fairy on a toadstool underneath—and dragged _Myths and Legends_ towards her. She flipped through several pages. "This story's really good. Um." She stopped, suddenly turning red. "I-if you want to read it." She pushed the book towards Shirou.

Shirou pulled the book towards him, frowning. His eyes shifted towards the picture. A hand-drawn figure stood amidst a barren plain, armor-suited, cape fluttering behind him. Two swords crossed over him. The more Shirou stared, the more he realized they resembled Keyblades.

Emi tapped the picture. "It's about the legend of the Keyblade. Or a legend. It talks about two magic swords, one light, and one dark. Long ago a warrior roamed the land, wielding both swords, and sometimes he used the dark, sometimes the light."

"I thought you wanted me to read the story?"

"Ah! Sorry." Emi ducked her head.

Shirou couldn't tear his gaze away from the picture. Something twitched near his heart. The world shifted. He blinked rapidly, clutching his head. His vision returned to normal.

"Shirou?"

He lifted his head.

Sora smiled, lopsided. "Hey. What are you guys looking at?"

"Oh! Um." Emi scratched her head. "It's a story."

"Neat." He folded his arms. "So. Riku suggested we take you to Aqua, since Merlin's probably going to be busy."

Shirou nodded.

Sora's eyes flickered across Shirou's face, expression unreadable. He glanced away and worked his jaw. "If I take you, you have to promise me something, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't fight the Heartless until I tell you it's okay. Or anything that seems out of the ordinary." Sora focused a steely blue stare on him. Light seemed to illuminate their depths like flame. "Understand? If I say hide, hide. If I say run, get as far away as possible, no matter what's going on."

"But what if you're in trouble?"

"Shirou."

Shirou weighed his options. If he accepted the deal, he'd get immediate help in magic from someone who was supposed to be an expert. He couldn't help his master, but f what Riku said was true, then learning the magic would allow him to help more later.

Sora's stare remained level, piercing.

Shirou nodded. "Okay."

Sora's gaze softened, his shoulders drooping. "Good."

Emi sat straighter. "You're coming back with us?"

"Kind of. We're still taking my ship, you know." Sora grinned and folded his arms behind his head. "Hey, maybe we can get all the apprentices together for games."

Emi giggled. "You're still a huge dork."

"Hey, you'd miss it if I wasn't." He lifted her from the chair, and she yelped, muffled laughter escaping her as he swung her around.

Shirou tilted his head. Something in his chest grew tight.

Riku called, "Stop torturing my apprentice."

Sora dropped her.

Riku moved to them and absently laid a hand on Emi's head. "So, have you decided?"

"Yeah. We're going."

 **-Sora** sat in the Gummi ship, staring out the window towards the Land of Departure. "We're here."

Shirou glanced from him, to the window, and back. "Aren't we getting out?"

"Yeah." He didn't move.

Shirou frowned.

Sora released a shaky breath. "Alright. Let's take you to Aqua." He stood and guided Shirou from the ship.

Riku had landed close by. He and Emi, Sora assumed, had already hurried to the training grounds; no sign of them stirred around the Gummi ship.

Shirou glanced around him, blinking.

"Pretty big, isn't it?"

Shirou tilted his head. "How many Keybladers are there?"

"Right now? There are five masters and four apprentices, you and me included." Sora gestured for Shirou to follow him, and they moved up the cobblestone path to the castle doors. "My—my friend, Kairi, can wield a Keyblade, too, but she's not a master or apprentice."

"Why?"

"Um." Sora pushed the doors open. "W-well, she's got a world to rule. That keeps her kind of busy."

"Oh."

"What, not even interested that she rules a world?"

"Yes? No?"

Sora laughed, but it shook. "I'm just teasing, you know." They walked down the long hallway, moving through shafts of sunlight, painting them and the path warm colors.

The stone ended, abruptly replaced by tall pillars and a wide, expansive training ground. Riku and Emi stood, their backs towards them, in the field, talking to Lea and his apprentices. Lea's gaze flicked from Riku a moment, then longer. A grin slowly stretched his face, and he waved.

Emi looked back and smiled, gesturing.

Melody's eyes lit up. "You did come back!" She sprinted across the training grounds, then skidded to a halt. "Who's that?"

"My apprentice."

"You _actually_ have one?"

Rai called, "Melody thought you were making it up!"

"Did not!" She puffed her cheeks, then clasped Shirou's hands. "I'm Melody! I'm training to be the best Keyblade wielder and fire mage ever."

Lea laughed. "Of course you are. That's what happens when you learn from the best." He slapped Rai's shoulder. "And this one will give you a run for your money, even though he's younger."

Emi appeared behind them, shifting and playing with her shirt.

"Hey," Melody asked, "are you going to be training with us?"

Lea sighed and scratched his head. "Didn't even ask his name."

"Shirou," the boy supplied. He stared, gaze darting rapidly from one individual to the next. "You're all Keybladers?"

"Of course," Lea replied.

"Debatably," Riku called; he still stood a few paces away, arms crossed, but smiling.

Sora lifted his hands. "Hey, hey. You're crowding him."

Rai dragged Melody backwards.

"We'll probably only be here a little while," Sora continued, "but I'm sure he'll get the opportunity to work with you guys."

Shirou shot him a glance.

Melody pouted.

"Don't worry, I'll come play with you guys later. Maybe we can have a masters versus apprentices volleyball game."

Melody brightened marginally. "Fine. _I'm_ going to go train some more, unlike some people." She turned and stalked away.

Rai threw his hands in the air. "I _just_ stopped!" He rolled his eyes towards Sora, then followed, grumbling.

Emi ducked her head. "See you later, Shirou!" She and Riku moved towards a further area of the training grounds.

Sora stopped Lea. "Is Aqua back yet?"

"Hmm? Yeah, but just this morning. Why?"

"We're here to help Shirou master magic."

"What would've happened if she hadn't been here?"

"Library?"

Lea snorted. "Fine, whatever. Good luck." He returned to his apprentices.

Sora led Shirou away from the training grounds and further into the castle. "Sorry," Sora told him. "They're a little energetic."

"It's fine."

They moved past the vaguely-familiar paintings and doors. Without the worry from his last visit clouding his mind, he realized how long it had been since he'd been here. A new painting had been added to the walls. Rai and Melody had separate rooms; their name plagues had been upgraded, going from plain wooden markers to polished white.

He paused.

A small painting hung from the door of an unused bedroom. A group of seven individuals stood arrayed around a large, heart-shaped moon. A strange sword speared the center, light glowing behind it, the vague image of a boy behind it.

"Sora?"

Sora jerked, then shook his head. He hurried away.

They arrived at Aqua's office. Sora knocked. "You in there?"

Papers rustled. Footsteps hurried towards the door. Aqua peered out. Her eyes widened. "Sora?"

"What? I thought you _wanted_ me to come back."

"Yes, but—never mind." She glanced towards Shirou. "Is this your apprentice?"

"Yeah. Aqua, this is Shirou. Shirou, Aqua."

Aqua extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Shirou."

Shirou accepted the handshake and nodded.

"We're here because we thought you could help him learn magic."

Aqua stood and moved aside. "Come in, then."

Sora entered, Shirou following.

Shirou glanced around. His eyes landed on Eraqus's Keyblade and remained glued there.

"So," Aqua said, "having trouble teaching him?" A smile tugged her lips.

Sora laughed awkwardly and began to move his arms behind his head, then stopped, lowering them. "He learned a little bit from Merlin, but Merlin's got Arthur and Camelot to worry about."

"Mm-hm." Aqua watched Shirou, who'd moved closer to the Keyblade. "What do you know so far?"

"Merlin said his magic's like mine. Heart magic."

"Really? Wouldn't you be better suited to teach him, then?"

Sora shrugged. "Hey, I'm here to help."

Aqua's gaze grew distant. "Shirou, can you come here?"

The boy jumped, then moved towards her.

"I want you to activate your magic, okay? Don't use any spells. You know how to do that?"

Shirou nodded, then closed his eyes.

Aqua touched a hand to his chest. A faint light bloomed beneath her hand. They remained there a few moments. Aqua's eyebrows scrunched. The light increased, and her frown deepened. "That's good." She removed her hand.

Shirou opened his eyes and glanced curiously between her and Sora.

Aqua stood and gestured.

Sora moved aside.

"Did you notice something," she paused, eyes flicking, " _different_ about his heart?"

"Different?" An image of something cursed, coiled near the boy's heart, flickered through his mind.

Aqua nodded. "It seems like—I don't know. I mostly work with the light and darkness of the heart. But his feels different. Weaker."

Sora weighed his options, then lowered his voice. "It might have something to do with the fire he was in. Whatever caused it did something to his heart. I got the worst out, but it altered his heart."

"And you didn't think to tell me this?" Aqua's voice raised, shrill.

Shirou whipped around and took a hesitant step towards them.

Sora lifted his hands. "Easy. I thought if anything cropped up, I could handle it."

"It could be something _serious._ It might affect his ability to use magic, among other things."

Sora lowered his hands, slowly. "I didn't think about that."

Aqua glared. "Sometimes you're so irresponsible, Ven—" She stopped, eyes going wide. "Sora, I'm sorry, I—"

"It's fine. I, um, had his heart with me for a long time." He shrugged and smiled uncertainly.

"Ven?" Shirou asked.

Aqua flashed him a guarded look. "You haven't told him?"

Sora shook his head. "You can, if you want."

"Sora—"

"Anyway, I promised Emi and the others I'd play with them. I'll catch you later." He waved and turned.

"Stop running away." Aqua's voice rang across the room, stern, commanding, an iron will backing the words.

Sora paused.

"He needs to know what happened in our past, and you need to be here for his training."

"I'm not running away, I just don't think I'd be much help—"

"You aren't the only one who was hurt, Sora."

Sora stiffened. He touched his magic and carefully extended it towards Aqua and Shirou.

A waterfall of emotions washed over him from the one: anger, sadness, perhaps a little bitterness, but overall determination and confusion. _She still doesn't know, but she wants to fix things._

From the other came only confusion and a vague curiosity. Shirou's heart seemed strangely empty, almost like a budding new creation, half-hidden behind the faint remains from the fire.

Sora released the magic. "I know. I'm sorry." He met Aqua's gaze, and wondered if she could read in his what he'd never say, that watching what she'd gone through had reminded him that no matter how strong someone was you could still lose them. No matter how strong you were, you might not be able to protect them.

Aqua narrowed her eyes, searching. "But you're not going to stay."

He broke eye contact, chuckling quietly, and realized he sounded a little disappointed. "I'll be in the training fields. You guys can come find me, alright? I won't be going very far." He turned and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He inhaled deeply. Tension left his shoulders, and he slumped against the door, running his hands over his face. For a moment he stayed there, still, Shirou's small footsteps pattering towards the door, then stopping. Sora lowered his hands and placed one against the door. "Sorry," he whispered again, then pushed away and strolled down the hallway, shoulders straight but heart heavy.

* * *

 _And there's the end of this chapter. Review responses:_

 **idea . getthe:** Aqua is…sort of a protagonist. She has a very important role to play in the story, at least, so there's that. The two main characters are still Shirou and Sora, though.

 **Parks98:** Yep. You'll be learning more about her history—among others—soon. Riku thought that if the blindfold helped him, it might help her, too.

 **animesguardianangel:** I'm sure it's fine. (laughs nervously and slowly reaches for foil)

 **Mythfan:** Thanks!

 **ultima-owner:** To be fair, he's still a little more concerned with the 'be a good Keyblader' thing.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Wasn't a slip, so I'm not quite sure what you mean with that? The whole time travel thing is actually going be explored later in-story! Do note that I've taken liberties with _both_ stories' time-travel mechanics (since one is basically a stable time loop and the other is multiple timelines) to create something relatively coherent. Haha, you probably should be feeling that something's not adding up quite yet; relates to the whole time travel thing. As for Aqua, I will say that I don't plan for her to get a Keyblade during the main story (plan being the key word there). I did know that, but I may have accidentally put a heart coming from some of the Shadows somewhere in there. (This is what I get for writing when I'm slowly drowning under papers…)

 **Masterx01:** Like I said, I'll keep the description thing in mind. There are parts in this I know are a bit lacking (curse you time constraints), but since Sora didn't really have time to focus on the world last time, I thought it'd be appropriate for him to reminisce this time around. For the point of view changing thing, the method that I've been using seems to be working fine; the hyphen and bolded word combo hasn't really seen any complaints of it being too vague about denoting point of view, so I'm not too worried about it. For the mook combat, yeah, I'm definitely going to be working on improving that in future chapters, since I agree that I kind of messed that up. (Riku was actually fighting for a while by that point, though, so his was a bit more justified. A bit.) For the versus Kirei thing…honestly, I've had complaints that either I've nerfed Kirei or I nerfed Sora for that battle, so… For the Servants, though, yes, they would be able to tank Sora's magic! (Well…depending on magic resistance and if Sora actually used any of his aces, but as a generalization most could do so.)

 _If you have any comments on the chapter, feel free to let me know!_


	18. Remind Us

_Here's chapter eighteen. I finally managed to get pictures of Shirou's and Emi's Keyblades uploaded:_ _sta . sh /01kefx6l2xj9_ _. (Without spaces.) Hopefully it won't take me so long to finish Melody's and Rai's._

 _Thank you Parks98, Raging Berserker, animesguardianangel, blackfirekingkoncor, KadoyaOkami, ultima-owner, Kiri Kaitou Clover, and Masterx01 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighteen: Remind Us**

Shirou stared at the door a few moments. He turned slowly to look at Aqua.

For a heartbeat she kept her focus on the door, eyes narrowed, fists clenched, something unreadable in her expression. Her gaze turned towards Shirou, and her features shifted into something more welcoming.

To Shirou, the smile seemed forced, hiding something sad.

"Do you want to get started, Shirou?"

"Why isn't Sora helping us?"

Aqua's mask cracked. "Oh. It's." She sighed, looking away. "He probably just doesn't know what to do. I'm sure he'll work with you when we get to the training fields."

Shirou ignored the voice that said _You're lying_ and nodded.

"Now," she knelt, "let's work on this. The best thing to do is just to get a feel for your magic. I want you to hold it, okay? You can let it fluctuate a bit, to explore."

"Fluctuate?"

"It's like using a spell, but without words. You hold your magic, and let it seep from your heart through your body. This is how most magic-users begin learning magic. Sora and Riku are both anomalies in this case. They had to learn very quickly."

"Because their world fell to Heartless."

"Right." Quieter, she added, "At least he told you that."

Shirou reached for his magic. He grasped it; it fluctuated, writhing, long tendrils seeming to seep from between mental fingers. His eyes lidded in concentration. He eased his mental grip a little. The magic struggled a moment longer, then settled. It weaved around him, carefully cupped in the palms of metaphysical hands. He breathed in slowly and closed his eyes.

The magic felt like clay. He poked it, and it moved, stirring. He manipulated it, and its shape changed. He moved it around the space within his heart. Cautiously he tried to pierce it, and it yielded, bits scattering towards different areas of his body. He cut it further, slowly stretching fingers through the warm energy mass. The magic steadied and filled him, thinner but covering more area, coating his ribs, his heart, his lungs, pressing against the back of his skin and making him feel energized, glowing. Then the magic slipped out, hovering like a halo over him. He cautiously pressed.

The halo nearly broke.

He jerked, then caught it just inside his body. He slowly pushed it out again.

This time he waited a few moments, letting the magic adjust. He pressed again.

Some of the magic scattered, a disjointed line wiggling away. It brushed something, and the line straightened, drawn towards it.

His world shifted. His head hurt. His heart thumped, hard, against his ribcage. His magic pressed against something foreign but familiar; energy pulsed against energy, and then his seemed to shift inside the other.

Detached emotions flooded him, undecipherable, chaotic, disjointed.

"Shirou?" a distant voice asked.

Shirou jolted, his magic breaking. Something wet slid down his cheek. He touched it, perplexed.

Aqua sighed. "You're okay. Good."

"I did something weird."

"I know."

Shirou tilted his head.

"Your magic is heart magic. That strange feeling was your magic exploring and entering my heart."

"Oh. You can sense it?"

"When you're still inexperienced. Once you practice with it, I probably wouldn't even notice. Well, so long as you're only using a small amount of magic. The more uncontrolled your magic is—and the more you use—the more noticeable it is."

Shirou frowned, the words banging uselessly through his head. "So were you crying?"

"Huh?"

Shirou touched his cheek. "I'm not sad, so I shouldn't be crying. Does that mean I'm crying for you?"

Aqua's shoulders slumped, and her expression fell. "Don't worry about me. I'm an adult. I can handle it."

"Like Sora?"

Aqua stiffened.

"Does Sora need someone to cry for him, too?"

"I—Sora—" She sighed, then sat. "Yes. We've—all of us—have been through a lot."

Shirou tilted his head.

"How much did Sora tell you about his past?"

"About Destiny Islands falling to darkness. And about Riku, too, but he got better."

Aqua laughed. "Well, yes. Both did. But," she glanced at the door, "there's more to it." She heaved a deep breath, and sat. "An old legend speaks of a man who wielded the Keyblade, but no one knows if he used it for destruction or hope."

Shirou recalled the story Emi had told him.

"The Keyblade is a blessing, but it can be a great burden, too. We've all felt it." Her eyes shifted, then took a steely glint. "Have you heard of a man named Xehanort?"

Shirou shook his head.

"He was—he used to be a Keyblade Master, with my mentor, Eraqus." She glanced towards the Keyblade on the wall. "He caused," she paused, "he caused a lot of problems for my family and I."

Her eyes fell, something heavy in them and pressing her shoulders, and Shirou didn't need his magic to feel her sadness.

"Ven and Terra. They were apprentices with me." Her voice grew raw. "When Xehanort betrayed us, he stole Terra's body and caused Ven's heart to shatter, in search of a weapon called the X-blade."

"Keyblade?"

"No." She made an X in the air. "Pronounced the same, but different. It's a powerful weapon that allows someone to unlock Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds."

Shirou wasn't entirely sure he understood, but he didn't interrupt.

"I confronted Xehanort, in Terra's body, in Radiant Garden." She wouldn't look at Shirou, fingers curled against her leg, voice taut and eyes distant. "We fought. Xehanort tried to lock Terra's heart to keep him from fighting back, and began falling into the Realm of Darkness. I dove after him. When I realized I couldn't get both of us out, I gave him my armor and Keyblade. I remained trapped in the Realm of Darkness, while Xehanort," she spat the name, "went free. Because all I could see was my friend, and I couldn't watch him be hurt anymore."

Unfamiliar words bounced through Shirou's head, and he filed them away, intending to ask Sora later. He had a feeling this explanation was no longer for his benefit.

"I spent a long time there. Mickey—he's another Keyblade wielder—told me about twelve years. I spent so long there I almost forgot how to feel. How to act. My friends and what I was fighting for." Her eyes had grown wide, and she stared at shaking hands, falling silent.

Shirou tentatively reached out a hand and shook her arm.

Aqua jolted, then smiled and placed a hand over Shirou's. "Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Her voice grew firmer, more brisk. "Riku and Mickey found me. Me and a man named Ansem the Wise. They told me that Xehanort planned to try and summon the X-blade again, using thirteen 'seekers of darkness' to combat 'seven guardians of light.' Basically, hearts filled with either element. Xehanort planned to gather thirteen individuals to place bits of his heart in to create his darknesses. Mickey explained his plan to gather seven Keyblade wielders to fight him."

"Why? Couldn't you just not fight?"

"If we didn't, he'd go after the Princesses of Heart—seven individuals with hearts of pure light. Most of them were untrained. Xehanort left us very little choice in the matter." She hesitated, and glanced at Shirou. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be teaching you magic, not talking. I should be letting Sora do this."

Shirou shook his head. "I don't mind." His fingers twitched, itching to practice but forced to remain patient from a strange sort of curiosity.

Aqua grimaced. "It's silly. You don't need a history lesson from me."

"You could tell me about Sora's part."

She lidded her eyes, then laughed. "I suppose I could. I met him not long after I left the Realm of Darkness, actually. He and Mickey's Guard and Magician—Goofy and Donald—were tasked to protect the Seven Princesses of Heart. Mickey called them back once I'd been rescued."

"Why?"

"Because I knew where we might be able to find our last Guardian of Light." She smiled wryly. "I'd hidden Ven's body away, here, when this world was different. I was the only one who could find it. And Sora—Sora was the one who had Ven's heart."

Shirou blinked. The words made little sense. He touched his chest, frowning.

Aqua laughed. "Sora's always had a more malleable heart than most. Ven went through a lot, before Terra and I met him, though he didn't really remember it. I don't know all the details, and neither does Sora. But, somehow, Sora was able to connect with Ven's heart when he was born, and heal it. That's why, when Ven's heart shattered again, he was able to find shelter in Sora's heart.

"None of us really knew if our plan would work, though. If taking Ven's heart to his body would be enough to wake him up, or if we had to find some other way to heal him. But we had to try." Aqua's voice grew bitter. "Unfortunately we weren't the only ones to realize Ven could be useful. Xehanort followed us. He used me to find Ven's body, and used it to create a vessel before we could stop him."

Her voice seemed strained, controlled, and Shirou sensed words she didn't say, but didn't comment.

Aqua shook her head. "Sora offered an alternative. We could unlock his heart, and release his Nobody, Roxas."

"Nobody?"

"They're the bodies that are left behind when an individual with a strong heart becomes a Heartless. Sora became one once before, to save Kairi, a friend of his."

The image of a Shadow clawing vainly at his heart flickered before Shirou's eyes. "Sora was a Heartless?"

Aqua suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Not in the conventional sense. Kairi helped restore him. But I don't think that's my story to tell." She hesitated, then her voice dropped. "Maybe none of this is."

"Huh?"

"We were able to unlock Sora's heart. Roxas came back into being. But it was a risky plan to begin with. We didn't count on what would happen if we succeeded."

Something cold and terrified shivered through Shirou's heart and numbed his veins.

Aqua shook herself, gaze growing steely. "I should've left this to Sora. _He's_ the one who should be telling you what happened to him." Her gaze softened. "Come on. We've been distracted long enough. Why don't we work on magic again?"

Shirou nodded, but his arms shook, and a dark energy lingered in the back of his mind.

 **-Sora** watched from the shadows, arms folded.

Emi practiced with Riku, bolts of dark fire flickering across the field into practice dummies.

Rai worked on a Stop spell, his target Melody, much to her chagrin. Lea hid his laughter.

Sora sighed, shoulders slumping, his eyes slipping closed.

 _"Ven?"_

 _"No. No, no, no, Sora, what did you think you were doing?"_

He opened his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling as if he'd just emerged from freezing water. He forced a smile, then entered the training fields and waved.

Melody, momentarily free, glanced over and waved back.

Sora strode towards them. "Hey. What are you working on?"

Riku interrupted, "What are _you_ working on? Shouldn't you be with Aqua, helping Shirou?"

"She's got it under control. I'd probably get in the way." Sora shrugged, grinning lopsidedly. "Anyway, I thought I'd come out here and train a bit."

Melody said, "You can train with us," and caught Sora's hand, dragging him after her.

"Melody," Lea said, "no. Focus."

"I _am_ focusing. I'm going to fight Sora."

"Um." Sora blinked. "What?"

Melody summoned her Keyblade—a medium-sized weapon, the teeth and guard resembling stylized suns, a line of glass-like material glittering along her blade's shaft. "Ready? Go!"

"Wait, Mel—"

Melody swung with a battle cry.

Sora caught her Keyblade. He sighed, then laughed.

Melody tugged her Keyblade, frowning. "That's not fair! You're supposed to _fight_ me."

"Sorry, sorry. I'll do it right this time." He smiled apologetically at Lea.

Lea shook his head. "Typical. Always messing things up."

Sora shrugged. "I'll get you ice cream later."

"Where? There are no ice cream stores on this world."

Emi asked, "We could maybe visit Twilight Town later?" She looked hopefully at Sora. "Together?"

Sora hesitated, and suddenly realized all eyes had fallen on him. He shifted, rubbing his neck. "I don't know. I mean, we still have a lot of work to do."

Rai turned away, his expression bitter.

Melody puffed her cheeks. "You promised you'd do something with us. This is the something."

Emi glanced at Melody, then nodded.

"I—come on, guys." His chest felt tight. He scratched his cheek. "I guess it might be alright. For a little while."

"Yes!" Melody cheered. She got into a fighting stance.

"Alright," Lea said, "let's get back to work, Rai."

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key. "Whenever you're ready."

Melody charged, and for a moment Sora lost himself into the familiar, easy movements of fighting, forgetting that this world and the next had any relation to his past.

* * *

 _So that's probably the closest you'll see to an actual title-drop in this story. Vague references that what the Sword of Damocles represents, stuff like that. Chapter's a bit shorter than expected, in part because school, part because the break-off point seemed appropriate, and in part because I realized Aqua probably wouldn't want to tell that part of the story to Shirou—don't know if_ Sora _will be explaining things or if someone else will snap and explain for him yet, though. Anyway, review responses:_

 **Parks98:** Haha, well, he had quite a bit of breaking in quick succession. Should probably note he's had significantly more happen to him than what's hinted at in this chapter, current events are just reminding him of what happened during Xehanort's attack more. Haha, Shirou does have sword stuff—a Keyblade. (In all seriousness, though, I'm not sure yet if he'll be able to do any sword-specific magic or not.)

 **Raging Berserker:** Actually, no, there's not a love triangle between the three. Aqua's feelings about Sora are rather complicated, sure, but romance isn't in the mix. Aqua's feelings for Ven were completely platonic, but also very _deeply_ platonic because she tends to form rather strong bonds with others. And thanks!

 **animesguardianangel:** Well, it's certainly not helping things.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Ah, got it. No, that wasn't the intent, so sorry for the confusion!

 **KadoyaOkami:** Yeah, that's a pretty accurate way of describing him right now. He's got a lot to learn and re-learn, and Sora's only just beginning to understand what that's going to mean for training him.

 **ultima-owner:** The legend itself isn't actually about Archer, though you were intended to think of him while reading it. And Shirou _will_ be able to read people like that, in a way, but he's got a long ways to go yet.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** It is. One of the reasons I wanted to write this was to explore Sora's character in a different way, and this is kind of the way it ended up going. Haha, so far Shirou hasn't caused _too_ much trouble.

 **Masterx01:** True about the Heartless. Nobodies will probably be added at some point, though not sure when, as far as 'as enemies' go. Yeah, I probably should've mentioned that about Riku, so my bad. For Kirei…potentially. While it may be something to think about for future battles, since that was a major battle back towards the beginning of the story, I'm not going to worry too much about it. Yep, the Stop spells can still be tanked. Basically, even though time magic is rather strong in the Nasuverse, because of the nature of KH spells, 'Stop' is considered to basically be a normal magic spell. While Masters/mages may think the Keybladers are doing something really, well, amazing (and probably react accordingly) the way the magic is used still functions like any other spell, and so would be affected by a Servant's magic resistance. (Simpler version: Anything that uses the 'magic stores' near the heart doesn't classify as the 'True Magic' of the Nasuverse.) And you're fine! I've read much worse English, actually.

 _That's it for this chapter! Feel free to leave a review._


	19. Of Our Past

_Also got Melody's and Rai's Keyblades done: sta . sh/ 01iqll8c5gxq_

 _Thank you ultima-owner, Raging Berseker, Parks98, DPSS, and blackfirekingkoncor for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Nineteen: Of Our Past**

Shirou breathed in and out slowly. His magic fluctuated, moving with his breathing, steady as a heartbeat. His focus remained on keeping it from fracturing; Aqua told him it would help him learn how to control it. The magic remained in a halo around him, brushing the world, but not extending, no fingers slinking towards Aqua's heart.

"Excellent, Shirou," Aqua said. "Now try reaching towards my heart. Slowly."

Shirou nodded, eyes lidded, and hesitantly pushed at the halo.

The magical bubble nearly popped.

Shirou paused, mental fingers groping at the sides, dragging the fragile sheets back towards him. When the halo steadied he tried again, cautiously allowing his grip to loosen on one small part.

The magic shivered a moment, then lanced towards Aqua's heart.

Shirou gasped. Foreign emotions and sensations rushed through his mind, too quickly to process. He released the magic.

"It was a nice try. You're making progress." Aqua smiled warmly.

Shirou nodded.

Aqua stood. "Well, we've spent long enough cooped up in here. Why don't we go and find Sora?"

Shirou stood and followed Aqua.

They passed through the hallways to the training field. Emi and Riku trained to one side, Emi flailing, Riku waiting patiently for her to regain her balance and attack him again. Lea trained with his other apprentice—Shirou realized suddenly he'd never received a name—in a similar fashion.

Melody and Sora stood in the middle of the field. Melody charged the older Keyblader, and Sora side-stepped, laughing. "That all you got?"

"No!" But Melody was panting, crouched and sweating.

Sora rested his Keyblade on his shoulder. "Why don't we take a break?"

Shirou frowned, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his stomach.

Aqua coughed. "Sora."

Sora glanced over and waved.

Melody released her Keyblade. "Are you here to train with Sora?"

Shirou said, "Yes."

"Melody," Aqua called, "why aren't you training with Lea and Rai?"

"I wanted to train with Sora. We never get to see him." She straightened and lifted her chin.

Sora scratched his cheek.

Aqua sighed and walked into the training fields. "See, Sora? This is why you should come around more often. You won't get kidnapped by apprentices."

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. She might just kidnap me more often. She's pretty good."

Melody beamed, then hurried towards Lea and Rai.

Aqua stopped a few paces away from Sora. "Are you ready to work with Shirou?"

"Of course."

Shirou glanced between the two. Aqua's eyes were narrowed. Sora's smile seemed strained. Shirou recalled what Aqua had told him, and hinted at, and for a moment he saw his mentor shrouded in darkness.

Sora turned to him, and the darkness disappeared, his smile turning genuine. "How's magic been working for you?"

Shirou shook his head. "Fine."

"He's starting to get a grasp on holding it," Aqua said, "but he's going to need you for application. Can you help him with that?"

"Sure."

Aqua nodded and moved to one side.

"You don't have to watch, you know."

"Feeling self-conscious?"

"No." Sora glanced away and rubbed his neck. "But you probably have better things to do."

"You asked me to help train Shirou. I'm just making sure everything goes smoothly."

"Right." Sora turned to Shirou. "Okay. So, heart magic." His gaze flickered, and he sighed, sitting. "Right. Focus," he muttered.

Shirou sat, tilting his head.

Sora closed his eyes. He didn't move or speak for several long moments.

Aqua furrowed her eyebrows. She opened her mouth.

Sora said, "Heart magic's a little weird, I guess. It doesn't need a true 'spell' to activate."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I think it's because it's pure magic." He nodded, and his voice grew more sure. "Yeah. It's just magic reaching out to the magic lying dormant in someone's heart."

Aqua's eyes widened. She sat and stared, arms braced against her legs.

"Not a lot of people can use heart magic, so not a lot's known about it." He paused. "You've already noticed what happens when you use your magic, right?"

"It's like the world is moving, and I'm getting strange feelings that aren't my own."

"Right. That's because the magic inside you is connecting to the magic inside someone else, and that connects your hearts." He opened his eyes and glanced towards Aqua. A bead of sweat trickled down his face. "Or, at least, I think."

Aqua snorted.

Sora smiled weakly. "Okay. So, because heart magic is so 'raw,' you need to have really fine control over it. Probably what Aqua was having you do is the best method."

"Sora—"

"I'm serious." He didn't turn to Aqua, his blue eyes focused intently on Shirou's. "The best thing you can do right now is just to work with your magic. Get used to it and try to figure out how to control it."

A strange part of Shirou felt disappointed. He nodded, anyways.

"Okay, good." Sora sat back and smiled apologetically. "Since you've been doing that for a while, want to work on sword play instead?"

Shirou nodded and stood, summoning Vir.

Aqua sighed and stood. "I suppose I'll go back to my research, then." Her eyes widened. "Oh! Sora, when you're done, I need to talk to you about something."

Sora frowned. "Sure, okay, I guess. But I promised Melody and the others I'd go with them to Twilight Town."

"This shouldn't take long. I can always speak to you when you return."

Sora's face scrunched, then morphed into an awkward smile. "Sure." His voice wavered.

Aqua eyed him, then left.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "You ready?"

Shirou stared a moment, Vir held low. Questions littered his mind, and he glanced after Aqua then back to Sora. _I don't really know anything about you._

"Shirou?"

Shirou jerked.

Sora's smile had fallen, his expression worried.

Shirou shook himself out of his stupor and got into a fighting position.

Sora still looked worried, and Shirou wondered if he'd used his 'heart magic' to read him. The concept was unnerving. "Whenever you're ready."

Shirou pushed the worrisome thoughts from his mind and charged.

 **-Sora** strode through the hallways towards Aqua's office. "Hey," he asked, pushing the door open, "what did you need to see me for? Aqua?"

The blue-haired woman was absent.

"Didn't she say she wanted to talk to me?"  
"I did," Aqua said.

Sora jumped.

Aqua appeared behind him, books clenched to her chest. She moved past him and placed them on her desk. She hesitated, her fingers resting on the book covers. "First, let me apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to call you _his_ name, and I probably brought back unwelcome memories. I'm sorry."

Sora's shoulders fell. "That's it? Geez, you had me worried. It's fine, really. I'm not just saying that." He grinned. "The others are waiting at the Gummi ship, though. Were you coming with us, or were you going to stay hole up in here?"

Aqua turned, and her eyes were serious, sad. "No, Sora. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

A chill shivered down Sora's spine, and suddenly he didn't want to know what she was about to say.

Aqua closed her eyes and looked away, then focused on him again, steel reflected in her features. "I'm going to go into the Realm of Sleep."

Time seemed to stop. Sora's features froze. "Ha ha. You're kidding, right? I mean, why would you need to go there." Something thumped in his chest and ears and made it difficult to make sense of Aqua's words.

"I need to speak to the Puppet Master."

The words ricocheted off Sora's brain, bouncing uselessly around his skull.

"Besides you, he's the only living person we know of who can connect his heart to that of a world's."

Sora shook his head, slowly, eyes wide. "This is a joke."

"It's not." She paused. "Sora, I know this is a less-than-ideal solution, but—"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's like if I told you I planned to revive Xehanort."

Aqua looked stricken. "That's not even possible anymore."

"That's not the point." The words had slowly settled, and Sora's features fell into something more serious, something dull and angry and afraid stirring in Sora's heart. "Besides, you know what this guy is capable of. He could enter a world's memories and steal a copy of Xehanort, if he really wanted."

"He's _trapped_ in the worlds' memories right now."

"And he should stay there. What's so important about learning about 'sentient worlds,' anyways?"

"The world you rescued Shirou from _is_ one."

He paused. "That would make sense." He recovered. "But it's still not a good idea. You know what happened last time." He ticked the list on his fingers. "Kairi couldn't complete her Keyblade training because of that guy. He tortured Riku. And I—" _Darkness and fear and blood why was there blood on his hands what was he doing why couldn't he control himself?_ He took a deep breath. "It's not a good idea."

Aqua studied him. "I'm not going to release him, Sora. I'll be careful. I just want to talk to him."

"You thought I might help you."

"Maybe a part of me did. But I also thought it would only be fair to tell you." She glanced away. "Riku already knows. I haven't told Kairi yet."

"And he's okay with it?"

"He wasn't thrilled, but he's going along with it. He knows that there's something wrong with the way the world reacted, and wants to get to the bottom of it, in case there's some larger issue."

"A 'larger issue' would be something like the Puppet Master or Xehanort getting out again."

"What if whatever's going on with Shirou's world _is_ like that?"

Sora had nothing he could say to that, and so remained silent, fists clenched and shaking, mouth clamped firmly shut.

Aqua sighed. "I'll be staying here. I have research to do." She moved.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and blocked her path.

Aqua's eyes widened.

Sora met her gaze. He tapped into his magic. He allowed the energy to slam into Aqua's heart. He sensed her surprise, her sadness, her determination, but overwhelmed it with his own emotions: the fear, the certainty of where this would lead, the feelings left over from the last time they'd fought, all the anger and uncertainty that he wished had gone away but hadn't. A part of him knew that he was touching her old wounds, reminding her of what she'd gone through when she'd lost Terra and Ven and how hard she'd had to struggle to recover—maybe she hadn't yet—and he tried to quell the guilt. His magical energy connected to hers and thrummed around her heart, pulsing like waves, twisting and drowning her emotions.

Aqua didn't react, didn't move, just continued staring with that same wide-eyed expression.

Sora released his magic. He lowered his Keyblade. "I can't stop you if you really want to this. You're our 'leader,' after all. But I'm not going to agree with you."

Aqua seemed to recover, her expression slowly settling into something made of iron, her features carved into immovable and solid as steel. He wondered if that came from spending so long in the Realm of Darkness, or from memories of Terra.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I hope you enjoy your time in Twilight Town."

Sora met her eyes a long moment, then dipped his head. "Master Aqua."

She strode past him, steps purposeful and clicking loudly against the floor.

Sora remained where he was long after Aqua had left. Pale orange light fell through the window and cast long shadows that fell across Sora's face. He lifted his Keyblade, hand clenched white around the hilt, then stopped, his face contorting then relaxing. He released the Kingdom Key. He recollected himself, then spun around, leaving the room empty.

* * *

… _Eventually we'll get back to longer chapters, really. Review responses:_

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed.

 **Raging Berserker:** There's a lot wound up in people's hearts in the Kingdom Hearts-verse; emotions, memories, etc. But yeah, there's also quite a bit rolled into heart magic…

 **Parks98:** That is part of it, yes! Haha, it's going to be very interesting to write out some of the characters' reactions when Shirou starts getting better at using heart magic. Kirei would be…still technically a human, I suppose. His heart is just…weird.

 **DPSS:** Oh, he'll definitely be having a Keyblade transformation, but I already have something planned for that.

 **blackfirekingkoncor:** Hopefully this chapter lived up to expectations, then!

 _If you have any comments on the chapter, I'd love to see them in a review!_


	20. Twilight

_Here's chapter twenty! Thank you Raging Berserker, Parks98, ultima-owner, and The Rank 5 Ninja for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty: Twilight**

Orange light washed over Shirou. Cobblestone streets stretched far ahead. Faint lights flickered around him. The town exuded an air of tranquility.

A hand clapped his shoulder. "Welcome to Twilight Town, kid." Lea grinned.

Melody rocketed past him. "We're getting ice cream, aren't we?"

Emi said, "Shouldn't we wait for our masters?"

Rai added, "Didn't you want to bug Sora?"

Lea laughed. "You guys can run along if you want. Not much to worry about here."

Riku made a disapproving noise, but didn't argue. He knelt and passed a munny sack to Emi. "Don't let Melody touch this. If you guys run into trouble, come straight back, okay?"

Emi nodded.

Melody caught Shirou's hands. "Come on, let's go."

"But—"

Sora stood a short distance away from the group, glancing towards the setting sun, expression tense and trouble.

Shirou tentatively reached for his magic and let it spread.

Lea and Riku flinched almost simultaneously, and Shirou realized he must have used more magic than he intended.

Sora's head whipped towards him, eyes wide. He smiled. Magic nudged Shirou's away. "Go ahead and have fun."

Shirou frowned. "You should come with us."

"Maybe later." He pointed towards the clock tower.

Melody seemed to understand what he meant, smiling brightly. She tugged.

Shirou hesitated, then allowed himself to be guided away. Emi hurried after them, Rai following more slowly.

Melody led them past tall buildings to a small stand.

The man behind the counter glanced at them, did a double-take, and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you four be in school?"

"We have off today." Melody tapped the counter. "Can we get ice cream?"

The man peered out of the stall. "Where are your parents?"

"Up that way." Melody pointed back the way they'd come.

Emi made an embarrassed noise and turned red.

Shirou asked, "Parents?" and glanced at Rai.

Rai mouthed, "Our masters."

The man looked uncertain.

"Oh!" an older female voice exclaimed. "Melody, hello! So nice to see you again."

"Ms. Wilson!"

An older woman appeared, stocky, laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, an apron hanging from her neck, covering a blue shirt and tan pants. "It's alright, Gerald. She and Rai are Lea's. He's the frequent customer I told you about."

"Uh-huh." Gerald blinked, glancing between Melody and the other children.

Ms. Wilson approached them. "Is he here?"

"He's back at the Station, with Riku and Sora."

"Well, I haven't seen those two in quite a while! And it shows. You've grown, Emi."

Emi fidgeted with her shirt.

"But I don't recognize you." She turned to Shirou.

He met her eyes, about to answer.

Melody interrupted. "He's Shirou. He's Sora's apprentice."

Rai elbowed her.

"I see! Very nice to meet you then, Shirou." She extended a hand.

"Um, thanks." He accepted the handshake.

"Now, you guys wanted ice cream, right?"

"Yeah." Melody looked at Shirou. "Have you tried sea salt yet?"

"No."

"Can we get three sea salts and a chocolate, please?"

Rai sighed. "Why are you so bossy?"

"I'm not!"

"Are too."

Shirou took a hesitant step back.

Emi lifted her hands. "Ah, please don't fight."

Shirou nodded. "I'm fine with sea salt."

Ms. Wilson distributed the ice cream, handing Shirou, Melody, and Rai light-blue bars and Emi a cone.

Emi fumbled with her pouch, handing Ms. Wilson several coins.

"Come back anytime!"

"Okay!" Melody called, leading them away.

Shirou licked his ice cream experimentally. He blinked, surprised at the taste.

"Wait!" Emi protested. "Shouldn't we go back to our masters?"

"They said we could go." Melody shrugged. "Besides, we've got to show Shirou everything in Twilight Town."

Rai rolled his eyes. "You just don't want our masters watching you."

Shirou interrupted, "Why did you call Lea your parent?"

Melody and Rai both shot him surprised looks. They exchanged a glance.

"Sora said family's a tight-knit group of people, and his parents were his family. But I thought parents were blood family."

Melody said, "You can have parents that aren't related to you. Like, if they raise you, they're kind of your parents, anyways. So we call Lea our parent."

"Unofficially," Rai added. "It's like he knows, and we know, but we never actually say it." He shot Melody a look.

"They _asked_."

Shirou nibbled his ice cream and absorbed the information. A strange, uncertain feeling twisted his chest, faint but present. He scrunched his eyes and wondered if he'd accidentally activated his magic, but the emotion didn't feel quite the same.

Melody suddenly stopped.

Rai nearly ran into her. "Why?"

Melody pointed.

A strange, gray creature limped through the street, body deformed, an odd marking on its head.

Emi blanched.

Shirou frowned, edging towards it.

"Wait!" Emi caught his shirt. "Don't get too close! It could hurt you."

Shirou eyed the creature.

"That's a Nobody," Rai whispered. "They don't usually attack unless people bug them, so if we leave it alone we're okay."

A shiver traveled down Shirou's spine. He tapped into his magic, the energy traveling in a wavy, uncertain line towards the creature, bits trailing into the air around the string. It touched the creature, and suddenly something like a void clouded Shirou's mind. Something familiar, but different, brushed his heart, and he had a vague sense that his heart resembled an empty, glass frame, waiting to be filled with emotions that he couldn't grasp from this strange creature.

Rai sucked in a breath. "Crap."

The Nobody glanced toward them.

Melody summoned her Keyblade.

The four apprentices remained frozen, locked in a strange staring contest.

The Nobody waltzed towards Shirou.

Melody waved her Keyblade. "Stay back!"

Shirou released his magic. The strange, empty feeling lifted.

The Nobody paused. It tilted its head, then disappeared.

Shirou's shoulders fell.

Melody released her Keyblade. "It looked like it wanted to see you, Shirou."

He nodded, still staring. "I used my magic." He recalled Aqua told him that Sora had once created one of the strange creatures, and tried to imagine the unwieldy hands swinging a Keyblade.

Rai said, "Maybe it wanted to make you its new master."

Shirou tilted his head.

Melody puffed her cheeks. "They don't do that, Rai! Besides, they'd go to Lea or Sora before Shirou."

"Melody!" He glanced at Shirou.

Shirou blinked. _Oh._ "I know about Sora. Did Lea create a Nobody once, too?"

"Kind of," Melody said. "He was—hey, Emi, where are you going?"

The girl had released Shirou's shirt and moved partway back up the path. "I-I just want to go back. You guys can keep going." She still seemed pale. She held stiff, shaking hands to her side and fled.

Shirou blinked.

"Oh," Melody muttered. "Shoot. I forgot that was probably a really big deal for her."

"Why?"

"Her home world was nearly overrun by Heartless. Riku saved her, but she almost lost her heart before that."

Rai elbowed Melody.

"Hey!"

"You should have let _Emi_ tell him that."

"Well, it's not a _secret_. Anyway, anything to do with Heartless freaks her out now. That includes Nobodies."

Shirou glanced up the path.

Melody tugged his arm. "Come on, we still have to show you the rest of Twilight Town."

Shirou hesitated. "I'm going back, too."

"Eh?"

Shirou broke free and ran back up the street.

 **-Sora** sat on top of the clock tower, hands clasped. The wind ruffled his hair and clothes.

"Hey," Lea said. "You aren't going to join the kids?"

"No. I thought I'd stay up here for a while. You?"

"Same. Something nostalgic about it." Lea grinned and perched on the railing. "Brings back memories."

Sora gave a noncommittal grunt, his mind filled with images and half-remembered feelings not his own.

"You know, even after all these years it's a little weird to think about it. At one time I was a member of this crazy Organization and surrogate brother of two strange kids. I was a Nobody myself. And Heartless. Heh. Funny how that works." He rubbed his spiked hair. "I still miss them sometimes. But I think I've found something similar in Rai and Melody."

"'Nostalgic,' huh?"

"Ha. Guess I couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

"A part of me was best friends with a part of you once. He _did_ give me those memories."

"Fair enough." Lea shrugged. "But that goes both ways. So maybe you'll find whatever you're looking for in Shirou."

Sora nodded, eyes focused across the town. A long moment of silence stretched between them before he said, "I think I'm going to take him world-traveling."

Lea snorted. "Figured."

Sora turned to defend himself.

Lea waved a hand. "Well, I won't pry. You know what's best for you, right? Just don't be a stranger."

Sora's smile felt weak. "Yeah. I got it memorized."

"Hey, now. I haven't used that catchphrase for _years_."

"What, not even to Melody and Rai?"

"Nope. They'd never stop using it."

"Maybe I should tell them, then. Hey, I think they might be coming back."

Lea caught his jacket. "Yeah, let's not." He followed Sora's gaze. "Besides, that's Emi and Shirou. Melody and Rai are probably still out in Twilight Town somewhere."

Sora laughed. Then he wilted.

Lea stood, dragging Sora with him. "Come on. Let's see what those two are up to."

"Right."

 **-Shirou** caught Emi at the Station. He tapped her shoulder.

"Ah!" She turned, quickly wiping her eyes and straightening. "Shirou? Why'd you follow me?"

"Melody told me."

Her expression darkened. She looked away. "About what?"

"The Heartless."

She didn't meet his gaze, her expression still somber.

Shirou hesitated, then activated his magic. The sloppy energy reached for Emi's heart. It hesitated at her chest, then phased through, wrapping around her heart. Shirou staggered at the emotions that bombarded him, the onslaught still too unfamiliar, too hard to understand entirely.

"Shirou?"

Shirou stubbornly held onto the magic. "I have heart magic. My heart is—" _like that Nobody_ "—empty, so I thought maybe I could take your bad emotions and put them inside."

A long pause, during which Shirou attempted to focus, sweat beading down his forehead, his magic experimentally poking at Emi's.

She giggled. The magic nudged his.

His concentration broke. The magic fell away. Shirou frowned.

Emi smiled. "I'm okay. It, it still hurts, sometimes. Um, but I'm still going! Riku says the best thing to do is to just keep facing your demons. So that's why I became a Keyblader. A-and I'm going to." She rubbed her arm.

Shirou tilted his head, and for a moment flames licked his neck, and a charred skeleton took Emi's place, mouth opened in a soundless scream, hand stretched towards him. "I see."

A vaguely-familiar laugh echoed in his ears. "Maybe we're more alike than I thought we were, Shirou."

He whipped around.

The black-haired girl stood beside him, hand lifted to her mouth.

Sora's voice drifted towards them. "Shirou! Emi!"

The girl's expression shifted into something Shirou couldn't place.

"Hey," Sora said, "you spacing out?"

Shirou turned. He glanced briefly at the girl, then shook his head.

Emi asked, "Where's Riku?"

"Practicing behind the Gummi ship, I think."

Emi raced away.

Sora knelt and ruffled Shirou's hair. "So, what do you think of Twilight Town?" He smiled, but something seemed to lie beneath it, something sad or strained or remorseful.

Shirou glanced at Lea, then at the girl, then back to Sora. He touched a hand to his chest. _Fill it with someone else's bad emotions, to take it away from them._ The fire enveloped him again. _That's my purpose. That's the reason I survived._

"Hey. You okay?"

Shirou nodded. "Can we practice magic?"

"Sure, I guess. But you _can_ just relax and have fun, you know."

"Yeah. I want to do this."

Lea snorted. "Oh, boy." He passed them. "I'm going to find Melody and Rai, before they get themselves into too much trouble."

Sora's smile turned crooked. "Okay, if you really want to. But we'll get plenty of time to practice later. I'm going to take you to see other worlds."

Shirou nodded, and sat.

Sora laughed and scratched his head. "I don't think you really need me for this part. Just focus on holding your magic, okay?"

Shirou closed his eyes. His mental fingers wrapped around the strands of magical energy. His heart thrummed quietly in his ears, fragile and fragmenting, while two presences watched his progress.

* * *

 _And that's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Raging Berserker:** Hmm, I wonder. I will say that no, you won't be seeing a Heartless/Nobody of Shirou; he still _has_ a heart, it's just kind of broken.

 **Parks98:** Yeah, that's the irony about heart magic; you can read other people and try to figure out how to help them, but when it comes to yourself, well…sometimes you still need other people to reach out to you. The whole 'Realm of Sleep' thing should be explained…the chapter after the next, I think? Provided the story doesn't hijack itself again, at least. (Regardless, it will get explained eventually so you're not floating in the dark.)

 **ultima-owner:** Not exactly. The magic connecting doesn't allow someone else to _use_ new magic; it's just a conduit for connecting to another heart.

 **The Rank 5 Ninja:** Thank you so much! Haha, I know my style can be pretty minimalistic, so I appreciate that. (And I'll keep working on improving!) You'll be seeing more of Kiritsugu and Aqua in the next two chapters, I believe, so hopefully their adventures live up to expectations.

 _Any comments or questions? Drop a review and let me know!_


	21. Preparations

_Here's the next chapter. Thank you RedRat8, Raging Berserker, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, KadoyaOkami, DPSS, ultima-owner, WorldofChaos21X, and idea . getthe for reviewing last chapter! (And Parks98 and Reality Deviant for reviewing on the notice.)_

 **Chapter Twenty – One: Preparations**

Kiritsugu sat in Raiga's living room. He'd donned his old suit, his trench coat folded beside him. He twirled an unlit cigarette and tapped it against his leg.

"Kiritsugu!" A brown-haired girl twirled into the room.

Kiritsugu smiled, catching the energetic child. "Hello, Taiga. What are you doing here so early?"

"I heard some of the guys saying you were here to see Grandpa, and I rushed over. Why didn't you tell me you were visiting?"

"It's mostly for business."

"What kind of business?"

"Not yours." Kiritsugu ruffled her hair. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

A dry cough sounded from the doorway. Raiga watched them, a cloth bundle in his hands.

"Grandpa!"

Raiga said, "Give the poor man some breathing room." He jerked his head.

"Aw, but _Grandpa_ —"

"You can monopolize him afterwards. Can't she?"

"Of course."

Satisfied, Taiga turned and raced from the room, pausing to add, "Later, Kiritsugu!"

The two observed each other silently. "She's growing," Kiritsugu commented.

"Too quickly. I remember when she could hardly walk."

Kiritsugu nodded. His features turned to stone. His fingers clenched.

Raiga sighed and sat. "Took some finding." He unfolded the cloth and revealed the Thompson Contender. "Wasn't in the ruins of the fire, like you thought it'd be. Good thing, too, since it probably wouldn't have survived. I think you know that, though."

Kiritsugu took the weapon and inspected it. Mostly still in working condition; only minor repairs would be needed.

"Some guy was trying to sell it. Had no luck, so I procured it from him." Raiga eyed Kiritsugu. "But what are you going to do with it?"

"I thought you weren't interested in prying." He experimentally loaded a bullet and aimed at the wall. His breath hissed slowly from his nose. He removed the bullet.

Raiga snorted. "I've always known your business is as questionable as mine. But I wouldn't think returning to your daughter would require a weapon."

"Her family's not very sympathetic."

"You say that like you aren't part of it."

Kiritsugu set the Contender aside.

"I hope you're not planning on running right out after her."

Kiritsugu's fists curled against his legs. "No. I'll stay in Japan until I regain more of my strength."

Raiga nodded, but folded his arms. "When you come back—"

"Don't worry, I won't involve Taiga in any of this."

"I was going to say I'd help if you needed to get anyone off your tail, but I'm glad you remembered."

Kiritsugu didn't answer. He accepted the cloth from Raiga and re-wrapped the Contender.

"Now, there's a little girl out there who expects you to hang on her every word. Wouldn't want to disappoint her."

Kiritsugu nodded and left the room.

 **-Kiritsugu** held the phone to his ear. A dull ring echoed across the line.

The ring cut off halfway through the third ring. "Hello, Brande speaking."

"It's Kiritsugu."

A pregnant pause. Static filled his ear. The call ended.

Kiritsugu sighed, waited a few moments, and redialed.

The phone rang twenty times before Brande picked up again. "What do you want?"

"Did you still want to be head of the Einzbern family?"

A bitter laugh. "You know that's not going to happen. I'm a traitor, remember? Besides, Old Man Acht's not going to die anytime soon."

"We'll see."

The line buzzed again. "What do you want, Magus Killer? You never answered my question."

Kiritsugu stared out his window. "I want my daughter back."

"So that's why security increased around the place."

"You _are_ still keeping track."

A pause. "I-it's just to check on some people I still have connections with, nothing more. I mean—disregard that. I shouldn't even be talking to you anymore."

"Acht never liked me any more than you."

"Yes, yes, I realize, and now you're going to say he has no reason not to kill you, too? That this means we should be on the same side?"

"If you're not interested, I have other methods."

A shaky sigh. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You're going to break into the Einzbern's estate and rescue your daughter. What do you think you are?"

Kiritsugu didn't answer.

"What makes you think you can take on Acht? He's a superior mage, and will have fortified the castle beyond belief."

Kiritsugu removed an origin bullet and twisted it between his fingers.

"And what makes you think I can help you?" A note of suspicion crept into her voice.

"You said it yourself. You've been keeping tabs on the estate." He let the bullet fall his palm. His fingers curled around it. "I need someone on recon, who can help me get past the worst of the barriers. I'll take care of Acht."

Brande sucked in her breath. "Alright. Say I'm interested in this 'adventure.' When would we plan to go after him?"

"A couple of months, at most."

"Not a lot of time to prepare."

"It's enough. I don't want to leave Illya there longer than necessary."

"I see." Brande released a shaky sigh. "I'll see what I can do. But no promises."

"Understood. Contact me at this number the first of next month. If you want to back out, that would be the time."

"Mm-hm." She paused. "How long have you been planning this? It's been half a year since the Grail War ended."

"I had things on my mind. Projects to arrange. I want to make sure there are no complications getting to Acht."

"I certainly hope this pays off, then." The call ended.

Kiritsugu lowered the phone. He sighed, staring at it. His fingers tightened around the device, and he put it aside.

 **-Someone** calling his name awakened Kiritsugu. He moved, his fingers wrapped around a loaded gun instantly, crouched, barrel pointed towards the window.

The cloaked figure tilted its head, then lifted a finger to its lips.

Kiritsugu vaguely recognized the figure. "You visited me in the hospital."

"Correct."

"What do you want from me?"

The figure folded his arms behind his back. "I would say I want your cooperation, but I've been banned from borrowing any memories."

"Memories?"

The figure snorted. "None of your concern."

Kiritsugu's grip tightened on the trigger.

The figure lifted his hands. "I have no quarrel with you, Magus Killer. In fact, I believe we can help each other."

Kiritsugu's eyes flickered uncertainly over the figure.

"I understand you're planning to save your daughter. I could be of some assistance."

"But?"

"I wouldn't need much from you." The figure paused, and seemed to consider something. "Did you know this world is corrupted?"

"Yes."

Despite the obscured features, Kiritsugu felt like the figure regarded him with surprise. Then a laugh escaped him. "It's not the way you're thinking of. Not the normal 'sin' or 'evil' or whatever term you'd prefer. Not a darkness that exists in the hearts of _people_ but in the heart of the _world_."

A bead of sweat trickled down Kiritsugu's face.

"This means nothing to you, does it? Well, don't worry. Suffice to say, your world has been trying to fight it for a very long time, and failing. It's like a sickness." The figure twirled a flower.

Kiritsugu blinked, momentarily caught off guard. _Where did he—?_

"A virus born from—well. I suppose I don't need to tell you _everything_ , do I?" He crushed the flower.

"Enough theatrics." He jerked the gun and took a step. "Tell me what you want from me."

"Or you'll shoot me? Very well. You always wanted to play the hero didn't you, Kiritsugu? Now's your chance."

Kiritsugu's eyes widened slowly. "How do you know that?"

"I believe I mentioned I have access to 'memories.'"

Something cold slithered down Kiritsugu's spine.

"An ally of mine asked me to help her rid this world of its corruption. However, it's something I don't have the power to do on my own. So. If you help me with my mission, I will help you rescue your daughter."

Kiritsugu considered his options.

"Come now. It's hardly anything different than anything you've always done. Don't you want to make up for all those lives you took in the fire?"

"I—"

"No survivors. How tragic."

"No." The image of a brown-haired man flashed through his mind. "There was one."

"Out of how many?"

Kiritsugu didn't answer, but his eyes twitched.

"The same corruption that's in the Grail is in the world, you know. Do you want to say you had the opportunity to stop the world from burning, and you threw it away?"

Kiritsugu's arm shook.

"Pity. I took you for better. At least I thought your daughter's safety would have convinced you. I thought that was the only reason you were still functioning. But you'd throw her away again, too." The figure shook his head and turned.

He was being manipulated. He _knew_ he was being manipulated, just as he knew he would cave, because Illya was all he had left and he couldn't quite let go of the vague hope dangled in front of him and he _hated_ it. "If I agree, what would I have to do?"

The figure stopped. "I'll be in contact. You're planning to rescue Illya in two months' time? I'll be at the estate." The figure disappeared.

Kiritsugu sprang to examine the place where he once stood, but no trace remained.

 **-"Listen,"** Brande said, "Acht hasn't lowered security at all. He doesn't know what state you're in, and that scares him."

"Is there any way to get through the bounded field?"

"I've been all over it. There aren't any natural weak spots. The holes I got my familiars through took _years_ of toying with it, and I think Acht found most of them. You're lucky I hid a few away before I ran."

Kiritsugu hummed an acknowledgement. "Can you weaken any spots along the barrier?"

"I can try, but he'll know something's wrong."

"Do it."

Brande's sigh rattled the line. "I hope you have a better plan than just busting down the bounded field." The call ended.

"I hope so, too." He'd spent the last month using every trick he knew to try and find some trace the figure had left behind, and found nothing. It seemed like the figure should have been some sort of spirit, but entering still would have alerted him through the bounded field.

He knew he had no reason to suspect the man would keep his word in helping him rescue Illya—he wouldn't get Kiritsugu's cooperation otherwise, after all—but he did worry about what would happen after the rescue attempt.

Kiritsugu focused and dialed another number.

A gruff voice answered almost immediately. "Kiritsugu."

"Do you have everything?"

"Yeah. You coming to pick them up?"

"Yes. I'll be there shortly." He ended the call and breathed a sigh. _Just a little longer, Illya, and we'll get you out._

* * *

 _Aaaand I think I'm going to end the chapter there. The story decided to hijack itself again and things came up that I didn't think would…So next chapter_ should _be Kiritsugu's actual rescue attempt. Should be. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** Unfortunately, it looks like it'll still be a while yet. I'm trying to go through Shirou's development from a young age onwards (in hindsight, maybe not the best idea, but I wanted to show his connection to Sora developing). There will be several time skips to help this along, though (including one after the next few chapters).

 **Raging Berserker:** You'll see for Shirou~ With Rai and Melody, both are OC's created for the purpose of being Lea's apprentices. (I actually forgot about the Rai in Twilight Town, so sorry if there's confusion there.)

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** A little bit, yeah. And yep, that was Xion!

 **Parks98:** Haha, that's a wonderful reaction you had to that. They wouldn't necessarily go to Lea or Sora; that's just the kids' speculating, since Lea's and Sora's Nobodies were formerly part of Organization XIII. (And thanks for the good luck wishes!)

 **KadoyaOkami:** Well, things have a tendency to get worse before they get better…

 **DPSS:** Don't worry, you'll find out. (Though you can probably guess about Roxas; his fate will still be explained further, though.)

 **ultima-owner:** So basically what Shirou usually goes through. I'm sure he'll be…fine…

 **WorldofChaos21X:** Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. It's just, in my mind, the Keybladers are still technically human, and so still have technically human limits. (That, and it seems weird to me to see Keybladers fighting on par with the stronger servants, though to be fair there's one battle in particular where Sora will…probably fare better than expected.) I do understand why this would upset people, it's just…me trying to combine the to 'verses in a way that works in my mind. I do agree that I have to work on power balancing in general regarding this (as I probably have been down-playing Sora too much), but balancing in regard to the Servants is still more up in the air. I'm kind of planning on putting an explanation in closer to the 5th Grail War that gives some justification for their strength, but the story keeps hijacking itself so I guess I can't give any promises in that department.

 **idea . getthe:** Haha, it was actually, "Okay, let's get to a place where I can do time skips now."

 **reality deviant:** Yeah…fun times…

 _Any thoughts about the chapter? Feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	22. The Rescue

_Okay, here's the next chapter. Thank you RedRat8, brave kid, The Rank 5 Ninja, DPSS, Thespurgin, ultima-owner, Kiri Kaitou Clover, UNKNOWNGPX, and ShineX for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: The Rescue**

Kiritsugu walked through the forest. Snow whipped his hair and stung his eyes. He held a phone to his ear. "Brande. Is everything ready on your end?"

"Yeah. You got the coordinates I sent you, right? I'm waiting there. This isn't exactly very inconspicuous, mind. Acht probably already knows we're here."

"That's fine. Once we get close enough, there won't be much he can do to stop us."

"You sound so confident. What if this doesn't work?"

"Neither of us has much left to lose."

Brande remained quiet a moment. "He'll probably send homunculi after us. He's been martialing them since I started trying to weaken the barrier. It took a considerable amount of effort to get even a small part week without him fixing it, by the way. Last I knew there was a bounded field around the house, too. Don't know about inside, but I'd imagine there's something."

"Noted. Is there anything else?"

"No."

"Then I'll talk to you there." He ended the call.

The trek through the snow seemed long, quiet. Kiritsugu silently took inventory. _The Contender. Ten origin bullets. A knife. Ten regular bullets. Two hand grenades. Four stakes._ He fingered the long metal rods, hanging by his sides like swords. Runes decorated their surface, pulsating faintly with alternating lights. They clanked against each other, the sound ringing dully. _And this._ He reached into his jacket and fingered the vial and capped needle. Normally magic used against Dead Apostles, refined and made into a liquid. He hoped it would be as effective against immortal homunculi.

A figure appeared through the snow. Brande stood, arms crossed, a heavy winter coat covering her. Her white hair whipped behind her, some strands loosening from their braid. Red eyes found him and narrowed. She gestured. "Here. Work quickly. I don't want all this time to go to waste."

Kiritsugu nodded and knelt. His circuits flared to life, prana charging through his fingertips.

The bounded field consisted of tightly interwoven threads. Unraveling them enough to pass would usually take hours, if not days. Moreover, the field had a self-healing function, fixing itself if the threads were parted for too long.

Brande had apparently gotten around this issue by inserting threads of her own, weaving them through the other threads and keeping them forced apart.

"Good work. I should be able to break a gap in the field. We'll have to hurry after that."

"I know. Those threads won't hold forever."

Kiritsugu didn't bother with a spell; instead he channeled as much prana as he could into the displaced threads. The already-weakened gap struggled a moment. The invisible strands flickered red. Kiritsugu's focus tightened. He nudged a few strands aside, slowly widening the hole.

All at once the spot shattered, random threads hovering broken in the air.

Kiritsugu moved, Brande following quickly.

Neither spoke. They hurried through the forest, weaving through the trees. Brande moved to the side, gesturing for Kiritsugu to follow. They took a round-about route.

A figure moved through the snow.

Kiritsugu pressed himself against a tree, and Brande copied his action.

A homunculus trailed through the forest, looking around.

Kiritsugu slid around the side of tree. The snow muffled his steps and obscured his form, but Kiritsugu kept ready to activate his circuits at any moment. He hurried to the next tree, gradually making his way further.

Brande sent him a knowing glance from a nearby tree.

The two moved more carefully after that, watching for homunculi or familiars, ducking behind tress for shelter.

The castle loomed through the trees.

Brande sidled closer. "He hasn't sent a lot of homunculi out."

Kiritsugu grunted an acknowledgement.

"He's scared." Something triumphant entered Brande's voice. "He's keeping them to guard the castle." She paused. "Well, that, and we never had many combat models to begin with."

They stopped at the edge of the tree line. As Brande predicated, several homunculi stood in front of the castle's door.

Kiritsugu pulled a grenade from his coat, pulled the pin, and threw.

One of the homunculi noticed and shouted a warning.

The grenade exploded, scattering the homunculi. The ones closest to the blast's epicenter were torn to pieces; those on the furthest edge, who had ducked for cover, received minimal damage.

Kiritsugu took the opportunity to launch the second grenade.

Two of the homunculi sprinted from their posts towards the forest.

The second grenade went off behind them.

Brande launched. Red circuits lanced down her legs and arms. "I've got them!" she shouted. "Get to the door!"

 _Time Alter: Double Accel._ Kiritsugu moved past the two homunculi.

Something shifted behind him.

"No you don't!" Brande's fist hit one. A long thread flew from her fingers and wrapped around one's arm. She tugged, dragging her opponent off balance.

Kiritsugu stopped at the door, turning off his circuits. He braced a hand against the frame, expecting to sense another bounded field.

"It's gone," a voice rumbled. "You're free to enter."

Kiritsugu whipped around, but the cloaked figured didn't appear.

"He's waiting for you. You'd better hurry."

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes.

Brande, in the background, kept her opponents busy, threads tormenting them.

Kiritsugu entered the castle.

 **-Brande** twisted her fingers into her threads. She braced her legs, crouched, and tugged. Her Reinforcement kept her stable, allowing her to match the stronger homunculi, to an extent.

The free homunculus turned towards the castle.

Brande released some of her grip on the other homunculus, sending strands to wrap around the other.

The white-haired woman glanced at her.

Brande grimaced. _That emotionlessness. That same emptiness Acht so seems to love instilling in his vessels._ "Well?" she spat. "Aren't you going to fight back?"  
The homunculus blinked. Her eyes sparked. "As you wish." She swung her spear. The threads snapped.

 _I'm going to regret this._ Brande sprang backwards.

The opposing homunculus slashed.

Brande ducked, flinging threads to trip her opponent. _The other one._ She spun, moving away from her second opponent's swipe. Two spears swiped at her. She dove, tangling one spear in her threads and tugging.

Her opponent stumbled.

Brande scooped a handful of snow and threw it in the other's face. She moved, intending to wrap threads around her opponent's spear, but nearly received a hole in her chest; she ducked, sliding at the last second, the spear tip grazing her cheek.

The spear swung around, cutting through the snow.

Brande swung aside. Instinct screamed at her, and she side-stepped; the second spear brushed her side, tip opening a small wound. Her breath hissed between her teeth, then left her completely when the spear snapped into her midsection. She rolled, then flung her threads, half-dragging her opponent to the ground.

The other homunculi cut the threads.

Brande stood, brushing hair from her face. _Alright, then. No more playing games._ She widened her stance and waited.

One of her opponent's lunged.

Brande stepped barely to the side, one hand lifting. She caught the homunculus's face. Tiny threads wrapped around her neck, her arms, her legs. Brande pushed, sending the first homunculus towards the second.

She lifted both arms.

The threads snapped tight. The homunculus hung, suspending awkwardly, twitching but unable to move.

Brande flashed a grim smile. She altered her stance and moved her fingers.

The homunculus moved with them.

Her second opponent stared, perturbed.

"Now," Brande growled, "this is an even playing field."

 **-The** castle seemed eerily quiet. Kiritsugu kept a hand on the Thompson Contender, eyeing the walls. He paused.

The floor stretched in front of him, oddly empty.

Kiritsugu knelt. He activated his circuits. Faintly he sensed mana along the walls and floor. He edged forward. Runes, barely visible, decorated the room.

Kiritsugu snorted, then tossed a normal bullet into the room. It rolled, skittering across the ground, coming to a stop in the room's center.

The floor and walls seemed to explode with ice. Massive shards sprung from the floor, piercing the empty air. Bullet-like showers rained from the walls. Stalactites and stalagmites crashed into each other and sent splinters of frozen rock in every direction.

Kiritsugu ducked, covering himself with his coat.

The onslaught lasted several moments longer. When the rumbling and shattering quieted, Kiritsugu stood again.

The once-gold room now stood decorated in frozen blue-white. A cold mist drifted between the rows, ice creating new hallways and walls. Shards lay scattered about the ground and embedded in the walls.

Kiritsugu began to move, then stopped. _No. Acht would never make it that easy._ He kicked an ice shard.

It skittered across the room. Nothing happened.

Kiritsugu moved, kicking the ice shard further through the room. He stopped at the stairs. The ice lined the steps. Kiritsugu lifted the ice shard and threw it.

A barrier bounced the shard aside.

 _Knowing Acht, trying to break the barrier will set off a trap._ Kiritsugu gripped the railing and slowly made his way up the icy steps. He slid two stakes free at the top. His circuits activated. The runes glowed, shimmering in a multi-colored array. He jammed both into the barrier.

Sparks flickered. The staircase groaned. The barrier flickered wildly. Energy pulsed from the stakes in a wide line. The barrier disappeared.

Kiritsugu hesitantly stepped through the open staircase. Nothing stopped him; no traps activated. He withdrew the stakes.

The barrier sprang back into existence.

He shoved the stakes back into their places and hurried through the halls. _If he's waiting anywhere, it'll be in the chapel._

He made his way carefully through the castle, easing through similar traps. He avoided using the stakes again; he didn't know how much Acht was watching, and he needed their abilities to remain a surprise, if he wanted to get the upper hand.

The large, oak doors loomed above him. Kiritsugu removed two of the stakes. He activated his circuits, and the runes on the items glowed. He touched one to the floor on one side of the door; it sank into the ground and locked, the runes still glowing. Kiritsugu repeated the process with the other stake. He eyed the door, then opened it.

 **-Acht** clenched a fist. "That fool." He turned.

"Fool, is he?" an unfamiliar voice asked. "Then why has he gotten so close to your castle, I wonder?" A hooded figure loomed from the shadows.

"Who are you?"

"That question has become really overused." The figure moved. "So I will spare you the formalities."

A strange darkness emanated from the figure. Acht lifted his hands. "Stay back."

"Or what? Will you use that magecraft of yours and kill me?" The figure moved, and before Acht could act, had appeared directly before him.

Acht stumbled backwards, magic circuits flaring to life.

"Hmm. A bit anti-climactic. I expected more."

"What business have you here?"

"So many questions. Don't you have more important things to worry about right now? Like the man coming to kill you."

Acht narrowed his eyes.

"Fortunately for you, I'm on a leash. But I'll leave you with some parting words. You should pass them along to your opponent." The figure loomed closer, his darkness seeming to seep about the room. _"This world is only the beginning."_

He disappeared the moment Kiritsugu walked through the door.

 **-Kiritsugu** stood in the doorway.

Acht stared, wide-eyed.

Kiritsugu fired the Contender.

The bullet ricocheted off an invisible barrier.

 _So he's already using mage craft._ Kiritsugu loaded an origin bullet into the Contender.

Acht seemed to return to himself, eyes clearing. Runes glowed on the ground.

Kiritsugu leapt back in time to avoid long spears of ice erupting along the chapel pathway.

"You think I've forgotten about those bullets of yours, boy? I hired you, after all."

Kiritsugu lifted his arm and shot. _Time Alter: Double Accel._ He kicked off, moving through the pews.

Acht lifted the shield.

The bullet bounced harmlessly away.

 _What?_ Kiritsugu ducked beneath it, but was forced backwards when Acht swung an arm, releasing sharp, icy spears. Kiritsugu skidded across the chapel.

Acht lifted the shield. "I always wondered if you would one day turn on us. That is why I prepared this."

Kiritsugu loaded a normal bullet into the Contender.

"It is not as well-made as my homunculi, but—"

Kiritsugu shot.

Acht blocked. "That is very rude, boy."

Runes glowed beneath Kiritsugu's feet.

He rolled, ducking between the pews, his fingers already moving to load an origin bullet into the Contender.

Long, jagged pillars of ice erupted where he'd once stood. Kiritsugu aimed for them and shot.

The ice shattered. The Runes on the ground flickered and broke apart.

Kiritsugu slid one of the stakes free. He channeled prana into it. The runes glowed to life. He touched it to the ground.

The stake's end shimmered, then sank into the floor.

Acht laughed, the sound brittle. "Those runes aren't connected to my prana, boy. They're self-activating. Did you truly believe that would work?"

The stake stabilized, and Kiritsugu pulled away.

Runes appeared on the walls.

Kiritsugu ran and slid under a pew on the other side of the room.

Ice fired from the runes. It shattered around him, splintering around the room like bullets. Wood splintered and fell around him.

Kiritsugu freed the final stake.

The onslaught stopped.

Kiritsugu loaded the Contender.

Acht's footsteps tapped towards him. "This is disappointing. I would've expected more from the legendary Magus Killer."

Kiritsugu activated his circuits. The runes on the stake glowed. Kiritsugu breathed in and out, slowly.

Acht's footsteps stopped. "I suppose this will be the end of you, then."

Acht's runes appeared beneath him.

Kiritsugu stabbed. The stake pierced the arrangement, shattering it, and locking the stake into place.

The entire room exploded with light.

"What?" Acht screeched.

Kiritsugu shielded his eyes and moved. He aimed towards where he vaguely believed Acht to be and shot.

A cry of pain confirmed his assumption.

The light faded. Acht turned towards him, blood trickling from a wound in his shoulder. "You! That was nothing more than a cheap trick."

Kiritsugu casually reloaded the Contender.

"You would underestimate _me_ , boy?" Acht lifted an arm.

Nothing happened.

Acht's eyes widened. He swung his arm again. "The runes. Why aren't they—? What have you _done_?"

Kiritsugu moved towards him.

Acht lifted the shield. His eyes narrowed. "A bounded field. So that's it. No magic can activate inside it."

Kiritsugu launched himself.

Acht moved, passing Kiritsugu and moving outside the bounded field.

Kiritsugu smirked. He spun and aimed the Contender.

Acht lifted an arm. An array formed around his outstretched hand.

Kiritsugu shot.

The bullet flew low, and collided with Acht's leg.

The old homunculus gasped, twitching. He stumbled backwards.

"You're right," Kiritsugu said. He moved towards Acht and knelt. "Tell me where Illya is."

Acht narrowed his eyes. His body convulsed. Blood pooled from his mouth. "This world," he choked, "is only the beginning."

Kiritsugu removed the vile.

"A cloaked man told me to pass on the message."

Kiritsugu stopped.

Acht surged upward. His fingers curled into Kiritugu's jacket and lifted him. "I will not," he paused for breath, "let you destroy, all this family has worked for."

Kiritsugu removed the needle and stabbed it into Acht's hand.

Acht jerked. He shook, still holding Kiritsugu, blood dribbling down his cheeks and staining his beard.

"You're done, Acht. If my origin bullet didn't destroy whatever spell you used to keep yourself alive, this will."

Acht's grasping fingers slipped down. He struggled, trying to reach again, to stand.

"I'll ask one more time: where is Illya?"

Acht didn't answer, still shaking.

Something like a scream echoed in Kiritsugu's ears. He covered his ears, but it made little difference. _What is?_

Acht laughed, bitterly. His eyes glittered with triumph.

Kiritsugu stared, then turned and ran from the chapel.

 **-Illya** sat in her room, her blanket pulled tightly around her. A stuffed animal waited in her lap; she'd intended to play a game, but lost interest quickly, and now she remained unsure about what to do. She stared at the blood-stained bandages lancing her arms.

Something moved.

Illya lifted her head. "Grandfather?" She turned, but saw no one. She still asked, "Is it time to leave?"

"Yes," an unfamiliar voice rumbled.

Illya whipped around. "Wh-who are you?"

The hooded figure released a tired sigh. "That question is truly beginning to wear thin." He seemed to observe her. "The truth is, little girl, I have no name. I gave it up long ago."

Illya pulled the blanket closer. Something about this man made her wary, fearful.

"I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I'm here at the behest of your father."

"Kiritsugu?" Hope fluttered in her chest, but she crushed it. "Grandfather said he abandoned us."

"And you believe your grandfather is an honest man?"

Illya considered the question. "Then why did it take so long for Da—for him to come for me?"

"It takes a long time to form a rescue plan." The figure approached her. "At this moment, Kiritsugu is fighting your Grandfather. I am gambling on his victory. In the meantime, I am going to take you to a safe place until the battle is over."

"E-eh?"

The figure approached her, stretching out a hand.

"Stop! Don't touch me!"

The figure ignored her and caught her arm. Then darkness and a horrible cold surrounded her.

Something shifted. Her consciousness felt as if it were being pulled in two directions. She crouched and clutched her head. She screamed, the sound echoed by another, wordless, more primal, deeper. Tears stung her eyes. Something deep inside her broiled.

She spoke, hardly hearing her words, hardly recognizing the voice as her own: "The world is screaming."

A pause.

The figure said, "Good."

 **-"Illya!"** Kiritsugu shouted. He sprinted through ice-coated hallways, forgetting concerns about traps. "Illya, where are you?"

"Right here," a familiar voice answered.

Kiritsugu stopped and spun around.

The hooded figure held Illya, fingers twisted into the back of her shirt.

Illya stared, eyes tearing. "Daddy."

Kiritsugu snapped his gun towards the figure.

"Here. Take her." The figure shoved Illya towards Kiritsugu.

He knelt, wrapping the little girl in his arms.

Illya's small arms circled his neck. "You came back!"

"Of course I did."

"How touching," the figure said. "But remember our deal."

Kiritsugu flashed a glare his way.

"I'm terrified. Truly." Darkness shrouded him. "Don't worry. I'll come find you again when you're needed."

* * *

 _And finished with this chapter! Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** Yeah, true. I've kind of been thinking things over since I realized just how long it'd take to move things forward to figure out how to keep things interesting, and I…think I have a plan? Hopefully it works out as…well, planned.

 **brave kid:** Thanks!

 **The Rank 5 Ninja:** Firstly, I want to say that your review made me really, really happy by the last comment. (Not sure if I was secretly more stressed out about missing an update than I thought I was, but the support's appreciated, anyways!) Haha, yes, Kiritsugu's back in action! As for our mysterious figure here, I'm pretty sure even the people who know Kingdom Hearts well don't know what's up with him yet.

 **DPSS:** Yeah, was kind of afraid of that. We're getting a time skip next chapter (though that mostly focuses on Aqua), and another afterwards. And then hopefully I'll have things to keep things entertaining until the next time skip? At least, more plot stuff should be happening.

 **Thespurgin:** Yep. The Einzberns aren't having a fun time right now. Things are going to get very interesting for the three founding families, I'd imagine.

 **ultima-owner:** Well, the plan worked out, at least.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Said mysterious figure will probably regret this, yes. Unfortunately, he has access to a lot of ammunition. He _might_ have bitten off a bit more than he can chew with his little stunt with Illya, though.

 **UNKNOWNGPX:** That is…actually a brilliant idea. It's not something I'd thought of, honestly; well, at least not for the KH characters, since their magic works a bit differently. But it's definitely a neat idea.

 **ShineX:** Thanks!

 _Reviews are always welcome, so if you have the time/desire, feel free to leave some!_


	23. Puppets on a String

_Here's chapter twenty-three! Thank you Raging Berserker, Aburg76, RedRat8, ultima-owner, Parks98, and Atlanta's Husban for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Puppets on a String**

Aqua checked and double-checked her notes. She propped a book beside her and scanned the pages. "It looks like everything's ready."

Riku folded his arms. He didn't speak, but his eyes reflected his uncertainty.

Mickey moved towards her. "Are you sure? We can do this another way, you know."  
"She's sure," Riku said. "She wouldn't have spent over a year on this if she wasn't."

Aqua frowned, then returned to Mickey. "No, I'm not entirely convinced. But sometimes you have to take a chance, you know?"

Mickey nodded. "I understand. But please be careful."

"Of course." She returned to her desk. Reports lay scattered about, from Riku and Lea and even her own and Mickey's, when they had the time. Sora's name didn't appear; in fact, no one had been able to contact him since Aqua had informed him of her intentions. The closest they got to finding the Keyblade Master and his apprentice were mentions of him on various worlds by his on-world friends.

She shook the thought away. "I think the best place to do this would be the Main Hall." She closed the book and tucked it under her arm.

The trio moved down the hallways. Clouds covered the sky and darkened the windows; Aqua suspected rain would fall later, and silently reminded herself to cover the training equipment and make sure the apprentices hadn't left anything lying around.

The Main Hall had changed very little since she'd been an apprentice: still a wide, golden space, filled with windows, thrones settled in the back, tall columns supporting the massive building. Their footsteps clicked emptily through the room.

Aqua moved to the center and gestured.

Mickey and Riku moved across from her.

Aqua opened the book again and laid it to one side. She glanced at it, then lifted her Keyblade.

Riku and Mickey exchanged glances, then copied her.

"Ready?" Aqua asked.

Her companions nodded.

Aqua activated the magic that would open a portal.

Riku and Mickey copied.

The three beams of magic collided in the center, coalescing. Aqua pursed her lips. _Now the tricky part._ She silently tweaked her magic, attempting to shift the trajectory of the Lanes Between.

Mickey's face scrunched in concentration.

Sweat beaded on Riku's forehead.

The world protested a moment. A groan filled the hall. Then the world shifted, and something sounded with a faint 'click.'

Aqua set her Keyblade on the floor. "Can you two maintain the portal?"

Mickey and Riku nodded.

"I won't be long." She donned her armor and stepped through.

A deep chill greeted her, seeping through her armor's joints. She walked across an invisible platform, ignoring the disorienting sensation of swirling colors beneath and around her. Images flashed through them, barely visible. The faint specters of worlds glittered in the distance.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" a voice rumbled. "Didn't expect you to 'drop' in."

Aqua paused. "I'm not going to any worlds, puppeteer. I'm here to speak with you."

"Not even giving me the respect of my title? Those are hardly proper manners, Master Aqua."

"You and I both know you deserve less."

"Come on, Aqua." The voice shifted, tone younger, familiar, and despite herself a shiver ran down Aqua's spine. "That's not really fair, is it?" Terra's image appeared from the vortex, moving towards her, exactly as she remembered him from her apprentice days.

"No mind games," Aqua said, her voice wavering. "I want to talk to _you_ , face-to-face."

"But it _is_ me. Come on, Aqua, don't be such a pain." The not-Terra smiled and reached for her.

Aqua leapt back, swiping an arm high. " _No_." Her word came out clipped, harsh, commanding.

Terra's image flashed her a heartbroken smile. It shifted, changing to Ven. "Hey, you know what's cool about this place? All the memories of all the worlds live here, and if you close your eyes, you can see them. Kind of like dreams. Guess that's why they call it the Realm of Sleep, right?" He folded his arms behind his head and smiled a cheeky grin, and suddenly Aqua couldn't tell if it was Ven or a younger Sora.

She took a steadying breath. "Are you going to keep going, or can I begin?"

"Right. I guess this would be difficult for you." The not-Ven scratched his cheek. "I mean, you did kind of let me die. If you'd just been a little bit faster—"

"Ven made the choice to sacrifice himself," she bit, "and you know it. You've seen the memories."

A deeper, scratchier voice came, and Ven changed to the looming figure of Master Xehanort. "Yes, I have. I've seen countless other _possibilities_ for how that same battle could have played out. Did you know that Ven could have survived? Sometimes at the cost of that foolish _boy_ , of course, but wouldn't you have preferred an old friend over an individual who shuts you out at every turn?"

Aqua said nothing.

"And _Terra_. So tragic that he believed the only repentance he had left was to die, and take one of my bodies with him." Xehanort's image shook his head. "I wonder, if you had been a more supportive friend, could you have saved him? The memories suggest you could have. Would you like to see?" Xehanort lifted a kaleidoscope tendril. Images flickered through the long, trailing lines.

" _Enough!_ " Aqua's voice seemed trapped around them, loud but compressed, ringing in their ears instead of around a space simultaneously too small and too large. "What do you know of sentient worlds?"

"Hmm. Well, that's an interesting question. But why should I tell you?"

"We are the ones who sealed you here. We have control over what happens to you."

"Ah. A threat, I see." The grating voice still made Aqua's hair lift. "So, what? If I don't help, you plan to finally kill me? Do what none of you had the courage to do, all those years ago? Please. It would be a mercy." He spread his arms.

"Or we could give you parole."

The form laughed, and wavered, and the voice interchanged with many different variations. "Do you think I'm that foolish? I know you would never risk me getting back out into the world. Not after what I did." The form stabilized, but a very un-Xehanort-like grin had cracked the guise's features. "No, no, I know how this goes. You will promise me freedom, under guidance. You will never return, and I will continue to rot here."

"You're right, in that we can't let you go free completely. However, I _am_ serious about offering you supervised 'walks,' so to speak. I have already discussed this with Riku and Kairi, and they've agreed."

The figure snorted in disbelief.

"If you don't take this, I can leave. You'll be left here for the rest of eternity. I'm sure there are other places I can find the information."

A laugh escaped him. "My, haven't you grown heartless, Master Aqua."

"I had the best teachers." Her voice dripped with cold sarcasm, and she clenched her fists, wishing she had her Keyblade and knowing she couldn't call it.

"Oh? You mean like him?" The form shifted to Eraqus. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to look so scornfully on your surrogate father—"

"Fine. I'm leaving." She bowed. "May you enjoy your stay." She turned, her footsteps clicking across the surface.

"Wait."

She paused.

Another dry laugh. "Fine. Fine. Face-to-face." The figure's form shifted and distorted. A slim, small image materialized, short blond hair framing a friendly face, gray eyes harder than the expression would imply. A dark purple-red robe settled around the man, an oversized hood falling down his back and about his shoulders. The clothes beneath—off-white with intricate gold patterns—were hardly visible. "You know," the man drawled, the voice seeming too deep for the small body, the sound shifting and lifting slightly, "I much prefer taking one of Xehanort's forms. He is far more intimidating."

"Is that why you're still using his voice?"

"Maybe." The voice rose a few octaves and smoothed. "But you wanted to talk, so please, get on with it. I'm a very busy man."

Aqua frowned, happy her helmet still obscured her expression. "Fine. I want all the information you have on sentient worlds, and how to find them. _Truthful_ information."

"And how are you going to know if I'm telling the truth?"

"I won't. But if I find out you've lied, you'll end up right back here."

The man's eyes tightened marginally. "Very well. Let's see." He cupped his chin. "Let's start with the basics. Forgive me, but I don't know what you've already learned." He smiled mirthlessly. "You know this place, the Realm of Sleep. Loosely speaking it houses worlds whose hearts have gone to sleep, as well as being a sort of 'plane' for the memories of the multiverse. To access the memories of particular worlds, you would have to travel through the Realm of Sleep, instead of the Lanes Between. Most worlds, should you achieve the ability to do so, would have a primal reaction. Sentient worlds act differently." His eyes glittered.

Aqua's hands curled into fists. _He's playing with me. There's something more that he's getting at, and he's taking joy in the fact that I don't have enough information to figure it out, isn't he?_ But she bit her tongue.

The man's expression fell slightly. "The sentient worlds will fight you for the preservation of their memories. This protest, so to speak, extends even into a world's actions in the real, physical realm. They'll take an active part in protecting their world, for better or for worse. Sometimes this involves sending away individuals who they believe will harm the natural order. Sometimes it involves outright killing them.

"The worlds don't have the same sense of 'morality' we do, mind. Their concern is maintaining balance. So long as the world itself is not in danger of being destroyed or tainted, then they care little about what actions are taken. Should either of those aspects be threatened, well." The Puppet Master shrugged. "As for the presence of sentient worlds, I presume you already know of some?"

Aqua stiffened.

The Puppet Master laughed. "I have access to _these_ , remember?" He swirled his hand. The flickering images swirled with it. "A bit disorienting, actually. Did you know I nearly went mad when you first locked me here?" An edge entered his voice.

"Keep going."

He eyed her, then sighed. "There is a nearly-abandoned world that I know of. I avoid messing with many sentient worlds. They are very temperamental."

"Can you tell me where?"

"It would be easier to show you."

The two locked gazes. "You expect me to let you be my guide?"

"That's what you're doing anyway, isn't it? Besides, you promised to take me out. Why not start now?"

"Coordinates. I'll visit the world on my own."

"You can't communicate with a world. I can."

Aqua hesitated.

"Or you can wait around, and hope you find the answers you're looking for on your own."

"Sora can communicate with worlds."

"Ah, yes. How _is_ our resident fool?" The bitterness in his voice became more apparent.

"None of your concern."

"Still upset, is he? Well, I understand. He's so _adept_ at connecting with other hearts that he can't even distinguish between what's real and what's fake anymore. It made getting to him so easy." Anger flared in his eyes, and a part of Aqua understood that he'd given up his attempts to appeal to her out of spite, lingering anger against one of the few individuals to share his ability.

"Coordinates. Do as you're told, and you'll still get your 'walks.'"

For a moment rage contorted the Puppet Master's features. Then he relaxed, expression smoothing. "You're lucky I'm so desperate, Master Aqua. You truly do have me under your thumb, don't you? But alas, I have no paper."

Aqua waited.

He sighed. "You already known the Keyblade Graveyard, correct? It is very close to there. Few Heartless and fewer people. You've likely never had to step foot on the world. It is almost as barren as its neighbor, if less grim and more hostile."

When it appeared he would say no more, Aqua said, "Thank you."

"Are you so sure Sora will help you?"

Aqua pursed her lips and turned. "I'll be back in a couple of weeks to take you for your first 'walk.'"

"You might want to keep an eye on that boy he has with him."

Aqua kept moving.

"Well. I suppose you'll find out, soon enough. But you should really heed my warning." The Puppet Master swirled a memory around his fingers.

Aqua stepped through the portal.

Mickey and Riku dropped their Keyblades. The portal closed.

Aqua released her armor and took a steadying breath. She lifted her Keyblade, absently running a finger along the smooth hilt.

"Aqua?" Mickey asked. "What did he say?"

"We have a world to examine."

"That's good."

Riku asked, "But?"

"We need to find Sora. Otherwise, we aren't going to learn much of anything." Aqua released her Keyblade, the Puppet Master's words echoing through her skull.

* * *

 _So that's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Raging Berserker:** Cool. I'm not really planning on including more anime-based worlds, but there will be at least one original world (that'd be the one the Puppet Master's sending Aqua to in this chapter). And it certainly will be, though it might be a little while before you see him again.

 **Aburg76:** Thanks. Haha, I know, probably not the best idea, especially considering my plans generally last like…an hour before they end up changing. But, at the moment, nothing's been derailed, so…hopefully things will keep on track. I'm glad you're okay with the pace, though! With Kiritsugu, I kind of knew the minute I decided he'd survive that he'd end up saving Illya, so I'm glad you think that turned out well.

 **RedRat8:** Well, she will have a part, though I'm not exactly sure if she'll have a Master or supporting role yet. I already know who's summoning Saber, though, and it may not be the person you're expecting. (And Shirou's probably not going to quite have the role people anticipate him to have, either.)

 **ultima-owner:** 'Big Evil Plan' is probably something of a stretch for this guy, but the world's definitely more of a means to an end, yeah.

 **Parks98:** Thanks! Haha, I knew I had do to that for Brande the moment I started writing her and figuring out her personality. The cloaked figure is definitely a major antagonist, and is probably going to cause as much trouble for the heroes as…well, everyone else mentioned. And I hadn't know that Kiritsugu was now a servant in Fate/Grand Order, so I went and checked after reading your review and started spazzing a little.

 **Atlanta's Husban:** Yep; we're returning to him and Sora next chapter, actually.

 _If you have any thoughts on the chapter, feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	24. Junior Heroes

_Here's chapter twenty-four. Thank you reality deviant, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, Parks98, and A.K.J.19 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Junior Heroes**

 _Shirou blinked. Darkness hung around him. He rubbed his eyes, and blinked again. "Hello?" His voice hung, heavy, in the tense air. He moved, eyes flicking around._

 _Something tapped beneath his feet. A stained glass platform glowed, images indistinguishable._

 _He frowned. The last time he'd seen this was three years ago. "Why am I back here?"_

 _A familiar voice said, "Because I have a warning for you, Shirou."_

 _"Oh. Hello, Xion. But why couldn't you just tell me normally?"_

 _The black-haired girl smiled wryly. "The last time you tried interacting with me, Sora saw. Remember?"_

 _Shirou grimaced; his master had given him a strange look and pressed about where he'd heard the name. Shirou had decided maybe he'd better not talk to Xion quite as often when she appeared._

 _Xion's expression fell. "Shirou." She paused, suddenly looking stricken._

 _"Is everything alright?"_

 _She sighed and seemed to try and fix her expression. "Shirou, you're—" She stopped and looked away. "Be careful. There is a man named the Puppet Master who wants to use you."_

 _"Puppet Master?"_

 _"He caused trouble for Sora and the others, years ago. It is a big part of the reason Sora is the way he is now."_

 _Shirou frowned, and considered prying. Even after three years of training, he knew very little of his master's past._

 _Xion grinned. "Oh, no. If you want information on what exactly happened, you'll have to ask Sora." Her grin faltered. "But it_ is _important that you know what this man does."_

 _Shirou nodded._

 _"You know that memories are deeply connected to people's hearts, right?"_

 _He nodded again._

 _"Well, worlds have memories, too." She stopped and rubbed an arm. "I don't know if I'll explain this well, but I'll try. A world's memories are outside of time. A person can only have memories of things that have happened in the past. A world has memories from all different times, past, present, and future. And a world's memories don't just focus on things that actually happened. They represent all that_ could have _happened, and all that_ might _happen, too."_

 _"So kind of like alternate timelines?"_

 _Xion brightened. "Yes, exactly! There's one thing that actually happened—that'd be the 'main' timeline, I guess—and a lot of things that could have or might happen. There's a place known as the 'Realm of Sleep' that connects the memories of the worlds' hearts. Sora knows more about that than I do. It's more complicated than I have time to explain."_

 _"What does this have to do with the 'Puppet Master'?"_

 _"Shirou. You know that Sora can connect his heart to others, right?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"And that includes a world's heart."_

 _He absorbed the words and his eyes slowly widened._

 _"Someone who can connect to a world's heart has access to the world's memories."_

 _"Can they alter them?"_

 _"Well, maybe, but that's not—" The Station began growing lighter. Xion's eyes widened. "Listen. The thing you need to know is that Sora's not the only one to ever have this ability. The Puppet Master has it, too, and he's been using it to manipulate a world for years now, specifically to try and get revenge on Sora." Xion's voice was fading._

 _"How do you know all this?"_

 _Xion smiled, sadly. "Because I_ am _a memory."_

 **-Shirou** jolted into awareness. Xion's words echoed through his mind, bouncing around his skull. He held his head, wincing.

"Morning," Sora said. He grinned. Space flashed by, visible through the window of the Gummi ship.

"Were you driving all night again."

"No." Sora yawned, then laughed. "Okay, maybe. But it's fine. I had some things to think about."

The transmitter rang.

"It's probably Aqua again." Sora's expression shifted, looking torn between answering and leaving it alone.

The ringing stopped.

Shirou said, "She wants us to go back to the Land of Departure."

"Yeah."

Shirou sent a wisp of magic towards Sora's heart.

Uncertainty tumbled about Sora's heart, mixed with a tired, reluctant resolve.

Shirou pulled away quickly. Sora _wanted_ to answer Aqua's calls, then, but refused to, for some reason Shirou didn't understand. Likely the same reason they'd left the Land of Departure so abruptly in the first place.

"She's probably doing fine," Shirou said, hoping it was the right thing to allay his master's concerns.

Sora flashed him a shaky grin, which fell slightly. "I _thought_ I felt magic."

Shirou met his eyes, then looked away.

"You know, that's only supposed to be for emergencies. It's rude to just look in on people's emotions like that."

"Yeah."

Sora sighed. "I know you're trying to help. But I'm alright, okay?" He flashed a broad grin. "And hey, you're getting better at hiding your magic. Although, maybe that's not a good thing." He shook his head. "Anyway, you know how I promised you we'd try practicing Keyblade transformations?"

"Is _that_ what you were thinking about all night?"

"Yep." Shirou didn't need his magic to tell Sora wasn't being entirely truthful, but the Keyblade Master pressed on. "I know a guy that specializes in 'the training of heroes.' He can probably help us master that ability."

Shirou took a seat beside Sora. A world appeared on the horizon. "What's it called?"

"Olympus Coliseum."

They moved to enter the world's atmosphere, descending a landing hard in a cloud of dust. The world outside had long columns and a massive, white building. Long green scrolls lined the walls of one side. Two large doors stood nearby. Several pots littered the dusty area.

Sora glanced around. "Maybe they're busy. Come on, let's go into the Coliseum and see if we can find them."

"Them?"

"Phil and Hercules." Sora moved towards the building.

Inside the building was warm, walls coated in orange. Small shelves sat on either side, covered with trophies. Blue doors stood at the far end. A small man with goat features stood near the door, mumbling over a paper. "If you're here to enter the tournament," the man growled, "you're too late. Sign-up's closed this morning."

"What," Sora asked, grinning, "no room for old friends?"

"No, not—wait." The man turned around. His eyes went wide. "Sora!"

"Hey, Phil."

"Been ages since I've seen you. You keeping up you're training?"

"Of course." Sora thumbed his nose. "Wouldn't be much of a Keyblade Master without it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it get to your head."

Something crossed Sora's features, but the shadow flitted so quickly that Shirou couldn't tell what.

Phil glanced past him. "Who's this?"

"This is Shirou." He gestured.

Shirou stepped forward and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Heh. Nice to meet you, too, kid." Phil accepted the handshake.

Sora said, "He's my apprentice."

Phil barked a laugh. "You? Having an apprentice?" He shook his head, then glanced conspiratorially at Shirou. "He ever tell you how he fared here?"

"H-hey, that's not why I brought him here."

Phil continued as if he hadn't heard. "I remember this hot-headed little runt, running around waving this giant key like he knew what he was doing. I've got two words for you: no self-control."

Shirou glanced at Sora.

Sora sighed. "Almost. Almost two words."

"Anyway," Phil said, hand waving absently, "the kid managed to do okay in the tournament, so I guess I had to give him the title of 'Junior Hero.' Now look at you. All grown-up. Still a junior hero."

"Hey!"

Phil snorted. "See?" He eyed them. "So, what brings you here? You haven't stopped in for any of the tournaments in a long time."

"Actually, I'm looking for help training Shirou. We've been working on Keyblade transformations, and I thought this would be a good place to practice."

"Eh?" Phil moved closer to Shirou. "You sure? He's still pretty young."

"Yeah. I wasn't actually planning on entering him in the tournament. That was a joke."

"Heh. Practice rounds, eh?" Phil stepped away. "Well, I suppose I could watch him. Tournament doesn't actually start until tomorrow, so we'll have the coliseum free today. But you know," he turned to Sora, "if you're really interested in joining, I might make an exception this once."

Sora's eyes lit, then dimmed. "I don't know." He scratched his cheek.

"Come on. It'll be like old times."

Sora glanced towards Shirou. He sighed. "Okay. I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"That's the Sora I remember." Phil focused on Shirou. "Come on, kid. Let's see what you can do." He moved to the blue doors, leading Shirou.

The main area of the coliseum consisted of a large, open field, seating surrounding it. Practice dummies, crates, and large jars filled the area.

Phil stepped back and folded his arms. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you can do."

Shirou summoned Vir. He took a deep breath and recalled what Sora had told him about Keyblade transformation. _Channel your magic into your Keyblade. You're going to will it to change form._

Vir glowed.

 _It'll be different for each Keyblade._

The weapon shifted, a sound resembling gears turning echoing through the air. The hilt formed a bow's grip; the blade bisected, forming the remainder of the bow. A long, magic tendril stretched between the bow's ends. The energy crackled. Shirou grimaced, then summoned an arrow. The same, crackling, pale-blue energy formed the shaft, and Shirou pulled back quickly and shot.

The arrow struck true, dead in the dummy's center, and dissipated.

Shirou winced, trying to hold the Keyblade's transformation. His arm shook. He fired twice more before he lost his grip, Vir changing back into a Keyblade.

Phil whistled. "Not bad, kid. What's going on with that blade of yours, though?"

"I'm not good at magic." _That's not heart magic._ "We didn't focus on it much, until we got to this."

Phil made a disapproving noise. "If it's magic you need help with, you're out of luck. I don't know much about it."

Shirou shook his head. "I just need to practice holding it. And pointers. Did my form look okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, it looked fine." Phil rubbed his chin. "Alright, you need help holding the form? I got a task for you. See those pots?" He gestured to the various pots around the field. "I want you to destroy all of them in a minute."

Shirou blinked. "Okay."

"What, no protest?"

"I just have to do it, right?" He stepped forward, brandishing Vir.

Phil eyed him, then asked, "You ready?"

Shirou nodded.

"Go!"

Shirou transformed Vir. He fired three arrows quickly, then nearly lost the Keyblade's transformation. He shot a fourth arrow, but this one was unstable, and collided in a crackling mess against the ground. The resulting debris destroyed a few of the pots, but Shirou grimaced, Vir returning to its more blade-like form.

Shirou turned, transforming Vir again, and summoned another arrow. This time he aimed at a group of pots lined in a row, firing once. The arrow pierced several, and a second arrow finished them. He spun, Vir returning to normal in the process, and re-transformed the weapon, firing an arrow. The magical energy whipped Shirou's face, and he winced, but fired again.

This process continued a few more moments, Shirou rapidly trying to retransform his Keyblade and shoot arrows, before Phil called, "Time's up!"

Shirou stopped, panting, his arms shaking from trying to maintain the magical energy. He released Vir and glanced around for Sora. The Keyblade Master was nowhere to be found. He sagged.

"You're right. You're going to need to get a lot quicker if you want to be up to snuff." Only half the pots in the arena had been destroyed.

Shirou nodded. "Are we going again?"

"Nah. Give it a break, kid. We'll get some more targets in here."

Shirou considered arguing, but stopped and nodded. "Did Sora used to do stuff like this?"

"Yeah. I put him through the paces."

Shirou considered his next course of action, then asked, "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Before now? Eh, probably a couple of years ago. Just here for Heartless control, though. Thought it was weird he didn't have anyone with him, but I figured now that he was this 'Keyblade Master' he had to work solo a lot more."

Shirou frowned and cupped his chin.

"Something on your mind?"

"Did Sora ever talk to you about someone named the Puppet Master?"

"Doesn't really sound like a _name_ , kid. More like a title. But no."

"Did he ever say anything about a world's memories?"

"What are you getting at?"

Shirou faltered. "I—um—"

"This couldn't be something related to thirteen years ago, could it?"

Shirou straightened.

"Kid always seemed weird after that. Like he was scared to get close to anyone."

"Do you know what happened?"

"No, just that it was something big. That's all he'd let lose."

Shirou hesitated, then tapped into his magic, sending a slight wisp towards Phil's heart. Pensive energy filled him. "I'm sure it's fine. Let's keep training."

The energy dissipated, replaced by tentative determination. "Yeah, what am I worried about? Sora could always bounce back from anything. Hey!"

Some workers startled.

"Get some more gear out here! We've got loads of training to do before the tournament, you know."

Shirou released his magic, his mind turning over Xion's warning.

* * *

 _So that's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** Technically the next time you see them, they'll have already met this particular sentient world. But yes, they will definitely be rather horrified about the whole Alaya v. Gaia situation.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** Yeah, it's probably fair to be worried about Sora. He did not have a fun time post KHIII. (To be fair, fighting against Xehanort wasn't exactly fun for him, either.) The Puppet Master is an original character created for the purpose of the post KHIII story, so it's not surprising you didn't recognize him. Technically speaking, Aqua already told Sora what she'd planned, it just took a while for her plan to go into action…though she _didn't_ tell him about the Puppet Master's little walks. And thanks; I'm glad you liked the chapter!

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed.

 **Parks98:** It makes me really excited when people start putting things together from the (admittedly vague) clues I've been dropping. As it is, you came very, very close to hitting the nail on the head (and managed to accidentally hit another nail while you were at it). Ah, I actually said I wasn't planning on including any other anime-based worlds here, so sorry to get your hopes up for that. As for your questions, I will say that CG Emiya didn't disappear (and this chapter gives a hint to how that's possible), but he and Shirou are both rather important. You pretty much nailed what Shirou's future fighting style will be, though.

 **A.K.J.19:** Yeah, she's trying, though Sora's still not really answering. Alaya, well…her main concern is not, in fact, keeping these guys alive, so…I'm glad you're okay with the pace for the most part, though! And I'm kind of amused by the fact that you mentioned Disney's Hercules right before the chapter where these guys landed on his world.

 _Anything bothering you, or anything that you like? Feel free to let me know!_


	25. Tournament

_Here's chapter twenty-five! Thank you reality deviant, A.K.J.19, Aburg76, ultima-owner, DPSS, Parks98, and a guest for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Tournament**

Sora tapped his pen against the Gummi ship's dash. A letter sat in front of him, half-finished. He scrawled, _Shirou's training is going well. Mostly. I mean, he still can't really do magic beyond heart magic, so we haven't really been focusing on it. I've been trying to teach him Keyblade transformations—I thought it might be easier for him. He can't handle it for very long, but he can change it, at least._

 _How is Radiant Garden? Everything going alright on your end? I'm sure there's a lot I'm missing out on. Sorry. But I promise I'll come visit sometime! Hey, you'll finally get to meet Shirou, right?_

 _Talk to you later, Kairi._

 _-Sora._

 _P.S. Please don't let Aqua know about this. I know, I've asked that before, but—ah, it's complicated._

He considered explaining, but left it. Of all people, he figured Kairi would be the one to be able to read between the lines, especially if Aqua told her about the Puppet Master.

He sighed and sat back, folding the letter. His gaze drifted toward the communicator. He worried his lip and considered returning Aqua's call—he wanted to know how things were going, if the Puppet Master was under control, and just to catch up. His hand inched towards it.

A long, dark claw stretched for the communicator.

Sora jerked away, summoning the Kingdom Key.

The claw wrapped the Keyblade, trailing darkness, and Sora slowly came to the realization that he stared at his own hand. Gradually the image dissipated.

He released the Keyblade and stared at his shaky hand. He wrapped his fingers around the wrist and held it still.

He took a deep breath. "Right! I'd probably better check and see how Shirou's doing." He turned and left.

He hand still shook

 **-Shirou** panted, using Vir as a support.

"Hey," Phil called, "why don't we call it quits?"

Shirou shook his head. "I can keep going."

"I'm all for hard work, kid, but you're exhausted. Take a breather."

Shirou looked to him a moment, then to the training field. Reluctantly he released his Keyblade.

Phil offered him some water. "So, how's traveling with Sora treating you?"

"Fine." Shirou sipped his water. "We've seen a lot of other worlds."

"You don't say."

The two lapsed into silence. Shirou scanned the arena, paying special attention to the shadows. He tapped into his magic, sending small tendrils outwards across the arena. A vein throbbed in his temple, and he winced.

"Something wrong, kid?"

"It's nothing." He took another sip of water and closed his eyes. His head ached, but he continued his magical extension until his head grew light. He released the magic and opened his eyes. Black spots momentarily filled his vision, and he steadied himself. He brushed sweat off his neck. "There aren't any Heartless here."

"Don't be too sure of that."

Shirou flashed him a look.

"Oh, we haven't had too much trouble with them in recent years, least not in the 'terrorize the populace' kind of way. But in tournaments? Loads of them. They can't seem to get enough of it. Works for me, though. Moving targets."

"I see."

"Hey, don't be so serious. You're, what? Seven? Give it a few years. I heckle him, but Sora's got it covered."

"Nine," Shirou muttered, frowning.

"My point stands."

"Hey!" Sora's voice carried from the arena entrance. He waved, moving closer. "How'd training go?"

Phil said, "Kid's got a lot of promise. Though _maybe_ you should've been here watching."

Sora scratched his cheek. "Sorry. I had something to take care of and didn't realize how much time had passed."

"It's fine," Shirou said, though his voice sounded resigned, and he tried to quash his own vague disappointment.

Phil shook his head. "Whatever. Listen, you'd just better be ready for the tournament tomorrow, you hear? Because if you're not, I've got two words for you: disappointment."

"Relax, Phil. I'll be fine." He turned to Shirou, grinning crookedly. "Why don't I show you around the world?"

"Okay." Shirou walked towards him.

"See you later, Phil."

"Yeah. See you, kid. And you." He fixed Shirou with a look. "Keep training."

"Right."

The two Keyblade wielders left the arena. Sora led Shirou past the Gummi ship and out of the Coliseum proper into a small town. Stands filled the dusty area, shopkeepers calling wares. Pots and other trinkets sat haphazardly near columns and buildings. Shirou looked around, blinking.

Sora's grin brightened. "So, where do you want to go first?"

"Any where's fine."

Sora sighed. "Alright, let's check out some of the shops, then." His drop in spirits disappeared, replaced with a kid-like glee as he dragged Shirou towards a stand with a thin, irritable-looking man.

Shirou allowed himself, and while Sora spoke with the man, cupped his chin and debated whether or not to pose his question. "Sora," he began hesitantly.

Sora turned to him, two strange looking hats in hand, 'Hercules' stamped across the top. "Hmm? Something up?"

Under the image of his master's grin, he faltered. "Never mind." He glanced about. "Can we go there?" He didn't actually know what the shop was selling, but Sora's eyes glowing told him he made a good decision.

Sora passed him a hat.

Shirou sagged, then smiled. He supposed he could try to ferret his questions about the 'Puppet Master' out on a later date.

 **-Sora** stood in the vestibule. He did a few stretches, casting glances towards the doors.

Phil eventually appeared. "Hey. You all ready to go? Your first match is up."

"Yeah." He released a heavy breath. "So, what am I doing?"

"You and your opponent will be fighting Heartless on opposite ends of the arena. If both of you get through that, you fight each other."

"Got it."

"Good luck." Phil moved aside.

Sora strode past him.

The stands around the arena were filled. People cheered as the two opponents emerged from opposite ends of the field. Shirou sat close to the front, watching, expression serious.

Sora snorted and flashed a small smile. Then he turned and faced his opponent.

A magical field sprang between them. Dark shapes spawned on either side. A buzzer rang, signaling the fighters to begin.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and jumped. He swept the blade through a lunging Shadow, side-stepped a Knight and speared it. He twirled his Keyblade and sent it flying in a Strike Raid. The weapon slammed through several Knights and into a Large Body, then returned to his hand. Gouts of darkness exploded around him, pink hearts floating skyward.

The crowd roared.

Sora grinned, turned, and pointed his Keyblade at an emerging Heartless. "Fire!" The fireball exploded into the Knight before it had time to react. Sora moved, slamming into a Large Body and twisting. He catapulted off it, twisting in air and coming down on the large Heartless's head. Darkness swarmed around his blade, a pink heart drifting past him.

Phil shouted from somewhere, "Stop showing off!"

Sora absently twirled his Keyblade, but kept it at the ready.

Several Shadow Heartless twitched around him. They lunged simultaneously.

"Aero!" The wind spell swirled around him, knocking the Heartless into the air. "Thunder!" The lightning spell speared the small creatures, causing them to break apart into long, wispy shadows. Sora's form illuminated briefly. When the spells faded, Sora rested his Keyblade on his shoulder. "That all, Phil? I thought this was going to be difficult."

"Don't get cocky," a voice rumbled. The barrier had fallen, and the other competitor—a man of average build, but with numerous scars and a long, thin blade—stepped towards him.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sora lowered his weapon.

 _"Did you really believe you could protect them from everything?"_

Sora shook the unwanted memory away. "Let's do this."

The man nodded. He swiped his sword in a salute.

The buzzer sounded.

The two fighters launched. Sora's blade slashed towards the man's head.

The man ducked aside, and Sora swept his blade low to parry a thrust. The two skidded apart. They watched a moment, eyeing each other.

Sora transformed his Keyblade. The two guns settled into his hands, and he shot.

The man's image blurred. He disappeared, reappearing above Sora and falling to slash.

 _Reminds me of Xigbar._ He parried and slid aside. _Actually, scratch that. It's more like something I've seen Aqua or Riku do._ "Thundaga!" Lightning struck around Sora in a ring.

The man jolted, caught by one of the bolts, and gasped.

Sora moved before he could recover, sliding across the ground and behind the man. The Kingdom Key swept into the man's side and sent him sprawling.

The man recovered quickly, rolling over himself and returning to a standing position. He folded one arm behind his back, the other aiming his blade's slim tip at Sora. He circled, feet crisscrossing, then lunged.

Sora moved to a sweeping parry.

The man's blade dipped, appearing on Sora's left side. When he moved to block, the tip dipped again, this time stabbing for his right.

Sora ducked, nearly bending backwards, the tip sliding past him. He slid onto his knees, rolled and returned to his feet.

His opponent moved, slashing quickly overhead, then whipping the blade at Sora's midsection.

Sora parried and slid the Keyblade up the slender blade's length.

The man circled away, blade flashing for a feint towards cut towards one shoulder, a feint towards the other, finally ending on a slid towards Sora's neck.

Sora leapt backwards, putting distance between himself and his opponent.

The man teleported, appearing near Sora's face.

Sora stabbed.

The man dodged aside, blade poised to strike.

Sora grinned. "Alright." He lifted his knee and rammed it into his opponent's gut. Simultaneously, he called, "Aeroga!" Wind erupted around him, and his opponent, thrown aside by his knee, found himself caught in the vortex. The man spiraled upward, unable to teleport, thrown when the magic died.

Sora lifted his Keyblade, ice forming at the tip. "Firaga!" The massive fireball collided with the man and sent him sprawling across the arena.

Sora lowered his Keyblade, watching warily.

The man remained prone a few moments, then pushed himself to his feet. "I suppose you're not bad."

Sora laughed. "You're not too shabby, yourself." He rested the Kingdom Key on his shoulder. "But I think we both know—"

 _"—how this will end."_

The echo of a time past ran through Sora's mind. He sobered. The arena seemed to contort. Darkness edged at the walls. The world took on a strange tint, and for a moment Sora found himself back in a familiar, dark place, facing down an entirely different enemy, someone calling his name in panic, only vaguely distinguishable to his addled mind.

Pain speared his shoulder. He blinked and panicked. That Keyblade hadn't been there a moment ago, had it? He slashed, dark claws forming around his fingers. Something pulsed in the back of his mind, reminding him he had to keep the attacker away from his friends—they were here somewhere, he knew they were, if only he could find them—but unreasonable anger and instinctual fear and a strange, familiar, horrifying hunger flooded his mind. He slipped to all fours, hissing at his opponent.

The strange, silver-haired figure watched him, eyes wide with horror. "Sora! Snap out of it!"

A part of him recognized the name, the voice, and something uncomfortable settled in his mind. He pushed the feelings aside irritably.

"We want to help you!"

He snarled and lunged.

The silver-haired boy stabbed.

He yelped. Pain throbbed through his arm, and his panicked anger increased.

Something brushed his heart.

 _Magic? Wha—Shirou._

The silver figure—Riku, he realized, or a younger version of him—disappeared, replaced by a stunned man. The strange darkness that surrounded him faded, and the arena returned.

The crowd had gone silent.

Shirou stood between Sora and his opponent, shaking, Vir summoned, a sword tip lodged in his shoulder.

* * *

 _And that's where we'll end it. Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** Thanks. I'm imagining he will, yeah.

 **A.K.J.19:** Haha, oh, gosh, yeah, he's going to be a very confused individual. And thanks.

 **Aburg76:** Yep; even if I look at other characters sometimes, it's still technically these two's story. I know, Xion's death was heartbreaking, even if you kind of knew it was coming. Xion's role isn't the same as in Days, though; in this case, she's more a guide.

 **ultima-owner:** Indeed it is. And yeah, that's exactly his problem with the Keyblade transformation now. He's got the gist of it, he just needs to practice to get the transformation to hold.

 **DPSS:** That's actually not something he'd be able to do here. Keyblades are very personal weapons, connected directly to people's hearts, and they can't be traced/projected. That, and at the moment Shirou doesn't even know about that sort of magic.

 **Parks98:** Haha, hey, I love it when people start putting together my cryptic clues, so win-win. It is a more advanced technique, but since Shirou still can't really use any magic beyond heart magic, Sora kind of figured it'd be worth a try to teach him Keyblade transformations. Yeah, that's basically how that transformation works! That is something he could feasibly do, once he gets more control over it, though at the moment that'd backfire on him horribly.

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! I did worry a lot about writing Shirou going into this, so I'm glad you think he turned out okay. The bond _does_ deepen, and I can definitely see your point. I _do_ have a reason for doing it this way, though, so hopefully I'll be able to justify why they're acting this way before the story ends. (Although, there is a certain Princess of Heart who knows more than she lets on…) I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

 _If there's anything you'd like to say about the chapter, feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	26. Decisions

_Here's chapter twenty-six. Thank you DPSS, Aburg76, A.K.J.19, Parks98, ultima-owner, Joachim Armster, phuxeds, and row row fight the powa for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Decisions**

Shirou half-stood.

Down below, Sora had frozen, his Keyblade still resting on his shoulder, but his body stiff, eyes gone wide.

His opponent tilted his head, then moved, slim sword striking.

It pierced Sora's shoulder.

The man stumbled away, looking surprised.

Sora reacted almost simultaneously, slashing the Kingdom Key, his left hand swinging around, fingers curled. He crouched, hand bracing the ground, eyes still wide.

"Sora!" Shirou shouted.

The crowd stilled. No one moved.

Shirou vaulted over the stadium's edge and landed clumsily in the arena.

Sora lunged towards his opponent, whose sword slashed his arm. Sora pulled away, eyes still wide, unseeing, his expression contorted in an oddly bestial expression.

Shirou sprinted towards them, sending magic wildly towards Sora's heart. Tumultuous emotions—pain, fear, anger—rushed through his mind in a blur, so quickly he couldn't process them.

Sora paused.

The man drew his sword back.

Shirou skidded in front of his mentor, half-lifting his arm, the word 'Stop' half-formed on his lips, summoning Vir in the hope of stopping the incoming strike.

The sword's tip pierced his shoulder.

For a moment, Shirou didn't move, unsure what to do. Vaguely he noticed his body shaking, and that something warm and wet dripped down his shoulder, and that Sora's opponent stared with a mixture of horror and shock.

Shirou's arm fell, two weak to hold Vir. He turned, slowly, towards Sora.

Sora mouthed something—his name, he thought—his expression panicked.

Shirou asked, "Are you alright?" His words sounded distant, like his ears were plugged. Small spots dotted his vision.

Sora's eyes widened.

Finally Shirou registered the pain in his shoulder, burning, burning— _like that fire, so long ago, I can't do anything but everyone's dying and Sora's going to crumble to ash any moment—_ and the spots increased. He fell.

 **-Sora** released the Kingdom Key, springing to catch Shirou before he hit the ground. His hand went to the bleeding wound. "Curaga." A part of him wondered if the higher-tier Cure spell was really necessary, but the thought fled when the green, healing light flooded over the stab wound. The blood stopped flowing. Skin and muscle knitted back together.

Shirou twitched.

Sora breathed in and out, slowly. His shaking hand remained pressed against Shirou's wound until it faded, the green light slowly dying. Sora checked his apprentice's pulse, his breathing. He released a shaky breath of his own.

The silence pressed around him. He glanced around the Coliseum. He met Phil's gaze.

Phil stared, something akin to disbelief across his face.

Sora's lips pressed flat, and he looked to his opponent. "Sorry. You win. This match is over." He lifted Shirou, keeping the boy close as he left the arena.

Phil hurried after him. When they entered the Vestibule, he asked, "Kid, what was that?"

"Phil." He paused, debated, then continued, "I'll explain later, as best I can, but I need to worry about Shirou first. Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course. I'll just—continue the tournament, I guess. But if you need anything—"

Sora gave him a weak smile. "I know. Thanks."

Phil turned, still looking uncertain, and returned to the arena.

Sora left and entered the Gummi ship. He lay Shirou down on his make-shift bed—just a collection of blankets and a pillow—and dragged a blanket over the unconscious boy. He dug around their food supplies and found a small bag of cookies. He placed it nearby, then sat, folding his arms across his knees. For several moments he remained there, silent. His laughter broke it, and he winced at the hollow sound. "Guess I really screwed up, didn't I? Sorry."

Shirou didn't stir.

Sora breathed a heavy sigh. "This is part of why I didn't know what to do when I apprenticed you, you know. How am I supposed to deal with a kid when I can't even—?" He brushed away a frustrated tear. "Sorry. I don't know if unconscious people hearing what's said about them is a thing or not. Guess I'll just keep quiet."

Footsteps sounded on the Gummi ship walkway.

Sora jerked, hand positioned to summon the Kingdom Key.

Someone knocked. Hercules ducked inside.

Sora relaxed. "Geez, Herc. You're going to give me a heart attack."

"Well, you know I have to keep you junior heroes on your toes."

Sora snorted.

Hercules hesitated, then sat nearby. "I heard about what happened."

"Phil sent you?"

"No. Phil _told_ me, but I came over on my own. My match isn't until the end, anyways."

Sora flashed an appreciative smile.

"So. The breakdown. What was—?" He waved his hand.

"Haha. Yeah. I guess you guys don't really have a good explanation for that, huh?"

Hercules just watched him.

Sora shrunk further in on himself. "Hey. I don't suppose you and Phil would be able to train him here for a while?" He gestured towards Shirou.

"What?"

"I just—you saw what happened. I put him in danger."

"It looked like he was putting _himself_ in danger more than the other way around."

"And how much of that is because of me?"

Hercules's eyes narrowed. "Sora."

"I, I haven't been doing well. For a while. It's," he paused, "it's not that I'm not trying. Really. But there are some things from the past that aren't leaving, and I just—can't talk about them yet." He looked at Shirou. "And I don't want him dealing with that."

"Do you really think handing him to us is the best idea?"

Sora didn't answer.

A heavy silence hung in the air. Hercules said, quietly, "I understand why you want to. But it's not going to do any favors, for you or him. He's your apprentice. For three years, right?"

Sora nodded.

"So you're probably the only family he's known for that long, and vice-versa." Hercules laughed. "Trust me, it's not going to do you much good to set off on your own." He paused. "Maybe what both of you need is a break."

"A break?"

"You know, just go somewhere and do something fun. Non-stressful. No training."

Sora laughed uncertainly, scratching his cheek. "I'm not so sure how he'd feel about that. He likes training."

"What else does he like?"

Sora didn't answer.

Shirou stirred.

Sora jerked.

Shirou blinked, glancing around. He tried pushing himself up, winced, and fell back.

"Hey," Sora said, "take it easy." He nudged the cookies closer.

Shirou frowned.

"They'll help. With the lightheadedness, I mean."

Shirou still looked skeptical, but accepted, pulling a cookie from the bag. His eyes flicked to Hercules.

Faintly Sora sensed magic. "Hey! No magic while you're recovering. Besides, remember what I told you?"

Shirou looked away, turning red and nodding. He asked, "Who are you?"

"Hercules. I'm Sora's friend." Hercules smiled. "That was pretty brave, what you did. I can see why the Keyblade chose you."

Shirou blinked, tilting his head.

"Anyway, I'll leave you guys alone. Think about what I said, okay, Sora?"

"Alright."

Hercules left.

Master and apprentice sat together in silence. "Shirou," Sora began hesitantly, "why did you run out there?"

"Because you were in danger." He stared with wide, innocent eyes, like the answer was the most obvious in the world. "You had an episode at a bad time, so I helped."

"You know about those?"

"They happened during training sometimes. I just left so you wouldn't worry."

Sora bowed his head and laced his fingers. "Shirou." His voice caught, and he started again. "Shirou, please don't do something like that again. Please don't worry about me. I'm the adult here. You shouldn't be burdened with that."

"But you're still a person." Shirou's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, but—but you should still have time to be a kid. You don't get that forever."

Shirou tilted his head, his eyes empty. "But you're hurting."

Sora sucked in a breath. He couldn't meet Shirou's eyes. "How would you like to stay here a while? Train with Hercules and Phil?"

"Okay."

A shaky smile crossed his face, and he didn't know if he felt relieved or sad. "Great. I'll just let them know, and I'll head out—"

"You're not staying?"

 _Oh._ "No. I still have things to do."  
Shirou's expression fell. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I—"

"I won't do it again. I can train harder." The empty look had mostly left Shirou's eyes, replaced by an uncertain, almost desperate expression, and it occurred to Sora that this was all the boy knew, Hercules's words echoing in the back of his mind.

"I-I'm sorry, I—come here." He drew Shirou into a hug. "Sorry. Sorry. I won't leave you here."

Shirou didn't return the hug immediately. The apprentice slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around Sora. His fingers curled, then clung, tighter, into Sora's jacket.

"Sorry," Sora repeated, and he hoped Shirou heard the deeper meaning of the apology.

"It's okay."

 _It's not._ Sora took a deep breath. "So, hey. Why don't we focus on something besides training for a while?"

Shirou stiffened.

"No, not like that! You didn't do anything wrong. But we're training constantly, and we both need some time to recover." Sora released Shirou and looked him in the eyes.

Shirou tilted his head. "What would we do?"

"Hmm." Sora cupped his chin. A grin split his face. "Why don't we try just exploring some new world? Could be fun, right? That way you can still 'train' to be a Keyblader, just in a different way."

Shirou's expression lifted slightly. "Okay."

"We won't leave right away. I'd like to see the end of the tournament. Been a while since I've watched Hercules fight." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Shirou frowned.

Sora held up his hands. "Don't worry. If it looks like I might relapse, I'll leave for a while, alright? I'll have Phil keep track of me."

Shirou nodded, though he still didn't look appeased. "Can I watch?"

"Yeah." Sora took a deep breath, then nudged the bag of cookies closer. "Hey, you can have more, you know."

"It's not very healthy."

"But they taste good."

Shirou frowned, but pulled another cookie from the bag.

Sora grinned, trying to ignore the shivering feelings from earlier clinging to his mind.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **DPSS:** Oh! My bad. Yeah, that's something he'd be capable of doing. Not sure whether or not it'll show up in-story, though.

 **Aburg76:** Haha, yeah, I was playing around with it a bit. That is basically what was going on with Sora, though. Yeah, Xion's death is definitely heartbreaking, but I feel obligated to warn you I do have this habit of occasionally hitting people's feels. Don't know how bad it'll be in this fic, but this is just in case, so you're not blind-sided if/when it happens.

 **A.K.J.19:** It'll definitely be important later. Yeah, that's exactly what was going on, though the actual reasons as to why will be explained later. You'll have to see on the rest, though.

 **Parks98:** Yeah, this was basically…all Sora's PTSD at this point.

 **ultima-owner:** Yep. Not a fun thing for the Keyblade wielder to be dealing with. And who knows?

 **Joachim Armster:** Oh, hey! Haha, ah, and then this chapter is shorter than the last one…Thanks you for telling me about the grammar error, though! I usually don't go back and fix small grammar/spelling mistakes like that, but I do still appreciate when people take the time to point them out to me, so thanks.

 **phuxeds:** Maybe? I think Sora will, at some point, though Shirou is really quite up in the air at the moment.

 **row row fight the powa:** I am…honestly not sure if you've seen the responses I've made to other people on this subject or not? Mostly because I'm not sure how many people read the review responses I give to reviewers other than themselves. I would recommend checking them out, though, and if you'd like me to point you to specific ones I can, and then you can go from there. Sorry if this seems a bit rude or anything, but I've gotten this comment a lot, and repeated myself quite a bit (and I think I actually was pretty short with some other people because of it…).

 _Any comments/questions/etc. on the chapter? Let me know in a review!_


	27. Ratatouille

_Here's chapter twenty – seven. You'll probably notice that there are some changes to the review reply section; essentially, I've copied and pasted certain parts of reviews into the replies to make it easier to follow what questions I'm answering, as per suggestion. I'll probably play with it to make it look a little better, but let me know your thoughts/suggestions on the format!_

 _Thank you A.K.J.19, DPSS, Aburg76, The Rank 5 Ninja, bowser3000000, Parks98, ultima-owner, Server lock, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty – Seven: Ratatouille**

Sora watched Hercules's battle from the stands, arms folded, a small grin tugging his lips.

The tournament's winner—a tiny, mouse-like creature, who specialized in traps—leapt about the field, keeping Hercules on his toes. The smaller target didn't seem to deter him, however, and his stance never wavered as he ducked around, hands still in a fighting position.

Shirou leaned forward, completely captivated. He cupped his chin.

"Trying to figure out a way you'd beat him?"

Shirou jerked, though his eyes never strayed from the battle. "And his opponent." His amber eyes trailed the mouse.

Sora laughed.

Phil, beside them, shouted, "Come on, Herc, remember your moves! I have a bet with a nymph, so you'd better not lose!"

"What," Sora asked, "not confident in him?"

"Nah, I'm sure he can win. I just thought I'd give him a little motivation to work harder."

Shirou said, "He stopped."

Hercules stood motionless.

Sora hadn't sensed any magic being cast, so he said, "Looks like your motivation did _really_ good."

"Heh." Phil crossed his arms. "Just wait for it."

The mouse leapt around a while longer then, seeming to realize Hercules wouldn't move, jumped towards him.

Hercules caught the mouse before she could strike him and slammed her against the ground.

The referee waited, then blew the horn.

Hercules helped the mouse to her feet. She scratched her head, but smiled.

"See?" Phil asked. "What'd I tell you? That nymph owes me dinner."

"Geez, Phil," Sora asked, "aren't there easier ways to get dates?"

"Like you would know. And this isn't a 'date,' I'll be taking this one alone. Got places to be."

"And she told you no," Hercules added, joining them.

"Sheesh, don't rat me out. Anyways, aren't you supposed to be over there, getting showered with praise?" He gestured towards the arena's center.

"Well, I couldn't walk away from someone who bet on me."

Sora added, "Not that it wasn't a safe bet."

"I don't know. She actually had a lot of talent. What do you think about taking someone else on, Phil?"

"Hey, now, my training days are over."

Sora snorted and stood. "We'd better get going."

"Oh?"

"I took your advice." Sora grinned at Hercules.

He smiled. "Good to know." He looked to Shirou. "Come back and train with me sometime, alright?"

Shirou blinked and nodded.

"Sora," Phil said, suddenly serious, "I need to speak to you, mono-a-mono."

"Sure." He followed Phil off to one side, leaving Hercules talking amicably with Shirou. "What's up?"

"You don't have to tell me about what's going on with you," Phil said, "but I do need to know something."

Sora swallowed uncertainly. "Who's the Puppet Master?"

Sora froze.

"Kid mentioned them. Didn't really know what he meant, but after your 'episode,' I got this weird feeling that maybe they were connected." He eyed Sora.

Sora laughed, scratching his head. "It's—it's a bit of a long story. But, I'll give you something of an abridged version." Sora hesitated, suddenly very aware of what his relationship with these people would mean, and nearly panicked, but took a steadying breath. "He's someone we fought. After Xehanort. He has…he has the ability to, ah," he paused, uncertain about how to approach the subject when he didn't know if his listener knew much about the Realm of Sleep or of memories.

"Just give me this: is he the reason you had that episode?"

Sora hesitated. Softly, answered, "Part of the reason. Yes. But." He shifted, folding his arms. "What—the reason he's the reason. That happened. He didn't make that up. Even if it was to manipulate me, it wasn't fake." He blinked, realizing he'd veered into his own thoughts, and added, "Sorry, that probably doesn't make much sense. But—wait. You said Shirou knew the name."

"You didn't tell him?"

Sora shook his head.

"Is he—"

" _No_." Sora clenched his shaking fists. "He's not in danger. The Puppet Master's locked away." _But Aqua might have gone through with her plan._ Sweat beaded and slipped down his cheek. "Shirou!"

His apprentice glanced his way, then hurried over.

Sora wet his lips, then said, "We'd better get going."

Phil eyed them both, but nodded. "Take care of yourselves."

"Of course." Sora led the way back to the Gummi ship. When they were out of earshot, he asked, "Shirou, how do you know about the Puppet Master?"

Shirou jerked. "I," he hesitated, "just heard it." He trailed off and looked away.

Sora sighed. "You're not a very good liar, you know." He paused and looked at his apprentice, making sure he had his full attention. "Listen. You shouldn't go digging for information on him, alright? Nothing good's going to come of that."

Shirou watched him, eyes wide, and nodded.

"Okay. Good." His breath came out shaky with relief. "Come on. We'll find some random world to explore, and put all this behind us."

 **-Shirou** glanced around. "Where are we?" Tall buildings stretched skyward along cobblestone streets. A river ran alongside the street. Clouds hung dark above, but no rain fell.

Sora shrugged. "Don't know. But that's the point of exploring, right?" He smiled, a little too widely, a little uncertainly, and hurried down the street.

Shirou followed.

Sora seemed to notice his apprentice struggling to keep up and slowed, this time flashing a genuine apologetic smile.

Shirou didn't smile back, but some tension inside him eased.

A figure ghosted beside him. Xion looked around the neighborhood, a wistful smile on her face. Her gaze flitted towards tall buildings and, and one point, they passed a small group of children, huddled together under an umbrella, and she giggled, a quiet longing on her face.

Shirou wanted to ask what she was thinking about, but knew that, even if he could risk talking to her aloud, he wouldn't broch the subject; he'd tried, when he'd first started talking to Xion, to ask about her past and who she was, but she'd been very close-lipped on the subject.

It dawned on him that revealing her status as a memory was one of the few hints she'd dropped about her identity.

"Hey," Sora said, waving a hand in front of his face. "You awake?"

Shirou shook his head. "Yeah."

"Good. Didn't need you traveling to a different world without me."

Shirou made a face.

Xion laughed, the sound pinging in his head like raindrops.

They passed storefronts, with big, stylized letters across the windows. Food sat on displays in some. Cars drove past them, spraying the sidewalks with water. Some people passed, mostly involved in their own problems. _So this is a human-oriented world._ He examined the people and frowned. _It has technology. Is magic normal, too?_ He decided he'd investigate later. A large building stood on the horizon, taller than any of the others around it, four legs leaning in and merging with each other to create a strange, semi-triangular shape.

"So," Sora asked, "where do you want to go?"

The two stood slightly apart, Sora scratching his head and glancing around. Shirou pondered the question, then glanced towards Xion. "Do they have an ice cream shop?"  
Xion jumped, then sighed. "Shirou, you really don't have to—"

"Sure, probably. Isn't a little cold, though?"

Shirou shrugged.

"Alright, works for me." Sora extended a hand towards him, hesitated, then let it fall limp, a shadow crossing his face. "Let's go."

They traipsed across the city, passing buildings in a variety of grays and browns and golds. Once they passed a particularly bright, rainbow-colored house that Shirou gawked at and Sora insisted on entering; apparently it was a gift shop. Sora took the time to ask about the local currency and used a quick spell to convert their munny. Xion disappeared, claiming fatigue, and Sora and Shirou continued their trek.

Sora scratched his cheek. "So. What do you think?"

"It's big."

"Yeah." His eyes shifted.

Shirou frowned. He tapped into his magic, inching it towards Sora's heart. The tendril just brushed it, then pulled away. Too quickly, Shirou realized, as he didn't even get a good grasp of Sora's emotions. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Are you alright?"

Sora sighed. "I thought I told you—"

"So you're not." A part of him shrank away from asking if Sora was upset with him.

Sora paused, blinking, then smiled sadly and scratched his head. "Hey. Hey." He hesitated, then rested a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "I thought we were supposed to be relaxing, right? I'll be fine. Some time off to forget things will be nice." He searched Shirou's gaze. "And you?"

He wasn't sure how to answer that, so he just nodded.

Sora still looked pensive, but he let the matter slide, and they moved onwards.

They eventually found a small ice cream shop, tables and chairs behind a fence, umbrellas spread overhead. "Are they open?" Sora asked, hurrying to the door and opening it. He peered inside, then gestured.

Shirou entered. Inside was surprisingly warm, with small booths and tables pressed against the walls, golden orange painting the area. He glanced towards his master, and the excited, carefree look on his face reminded him of how much Sora enjoyed the frozen treat, as well. _Maybe I should learn how to make it sometime._

A bored teenager peered from her place at the register, sighing, "How can I help you?"

"Hi! We'd like—" Sora paused, eyes flicking sideways.

Shirou frowned, then followed his gaze.

Heartless had materialized outside.

Sora sighed. "A raincheck." He grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Shirou. Guess we still have to do some clean-up, after all."

"I don't mind." He hurried out of the shop.

"Wait! Don't just rush into things."

Shirou summoned Vir, slashing at the nearest Heartless: a large, pot-like creature, brightly colored, bead eyes peering from a jagged black crack in its side. The weapon crashed into the Heartless, sending it skidding away with a squeak.

Sora skidded behind him, calling, "Fire!" The fireball collided with the Heartless and caused it to burst into dark smoke, pink heart floating skyward.

Shirou glanced behind him and nodded.

Citizens stared, then hurried away, leaving the two Keybladers to ward off the Heartless.

Sora launched himself towards a large Heartless, similar in shape to a Large Body, with large arms that it used to support itself.

Shirou focused on some Shadows that spawned nearby. He swung Vir, hitting two Shadows as they leapt towards him. He swung again, Vir's heavy swing hitting a Shadow over the head.

Another Heartless leapt him from behind, clinging to his back, claws digging into his shoulder.

"Blizzara!" The Heartless burst into smoke. Faint cold tingled Shirou's back.

Sora stared, Keyblade still lifted, mild panic flashing across his face, and Shirou worried for a moment that his master was lapsing into another episode. Then the large Heartless struck, and Sora's focus returned, his Keyblade spearing a weak point in the Heartless's armor.

Shirou shook his head and took the opportunity to try transforming his Keyblade. Vir split, transforming into the bow. The weapon shook in his hands, but he managed to form and energy arrow and shoot at another of the pot-like Heartless. He fired another shaky arrow, but this one missed, Vir returning to its former state, and the Heartless fled.

Shirou grimaced and hurried after it.

The Heartless fled through the streets, Shirou still on its tail, and turned down an alley. Shirou skidded after it, Vir flinging wildly.

He stopped, blinking. The Heartless had disappeared.

Shirou looked around, then tapped into his magic, sending it outward.

He didn't sense the typical negative emotions and hunger he associated with Heartless, but he did sense a smaller heart—filled with fear but excitement—nearby. He tentatively followed the source, Vir still held in both hands. "Hello?" His feet splashed through the puddles. "Is someone there?"

He stopped when he reached what looked like a back door to an unfamiliar building. No one seemed to be present outside, though emotions rattled from inside. Shirou winced, releasing his magic and clutching his head. He was about to turn away when something squeaked.

A rat sat just outside the door, staring up at the building.

Shirou hesitantly tapped into his magic again, sending a tiny tendril towards the small creature.

The emotions he'd sensed before swept through his heart, amplified by a strange longing.

Shirou released Vir and approached the rat. He crouched, tilting his head.

The rat didn't seem to notice him.

He tapped the rat's head.

The rat jumped, then whirled towards him, eyes wide.

Shirou asked, "Did you want to go in there?"

The rat bolted.

Shirou's hands moved before his mind caught up to what they were doing, wrapping around the rat and holding him in place.

The rat struggled, making panicked squeaks.

"It's okay. I'm a friend." He tried to tap his magic, but the panicked rat took up too much of his attention, so he said, "I'm a Keyblader." _Apprentice._ "It's my job to help protect people. I'm not going to hurt you. Can you understand me?"

Slowly the rat's struggle abated. He sat beneath Shirou's hands, panting, and glanced hesitantly up at Shirou.

"Can you understand me?" Shirou asked again.

The rat nodded, slowly.

"Did you want to go in there?" Shirou released a hand and pointed towards the building.

A pause, then the rat nodded again.

"Why?"

The rat gave him a dry look.

Shirou frowned, then released him, asking, "Can you show me?"

The rat bolted.

Shirou lifted a hand, mouth still open, then snapped it closed, frowning. _I guess he didn't want help._ He stood, brushing off his pants. He still had a Heartless to find, after all.

Pattering footsteps sounded. The rat had returned, dragging a tattered piece of paper. He stopped hesitantly before Shirou, then nudged it towards him.

Shirou lifted the paper. He couldn't read the language, and couldn't manage the translation spell that would help him read it, but the picture of a large man in a chef's hat, holding food, translated the basics for him. "This is a restaurant?"

The rat tapped the chef's picture.

"His restaurant?"

The rat nodded.

"And you want to meet him?"

The rat shook his head furiously, rubbed his muzzle, then mimed stirring.

Shirou stared, looked at the paper, then back to the rat. He hesitantly stretched a tendril of magic towards the rat's heart. "Cooking?"

The rat nodded, and excitement and hope fluttered in the rat's tiny heart, surprising Shirou with its intensity. He pointed again at the restaurant, urgently.

"You want to cook _in there_?"

The rat nodded again, and tentative, unbelievable hope flooded from his heart to Shirou's.

Shirou cut off the magic. _I should get back to Sora._ The older Keyblader had undoubtedly finished the remaining Heartless, and was panicked looking for him. He hesitated. "I might be able to help you. But," he hesitated, unsure he wanted to pose the question, then continued, "would you know how to make ice cream? It's for a friend."

The rat seemed surprised, looked aside, then nodded, slowly.

"Okay." Shirou offered a hand.

The rat eyed it warily, then climbed on.

Shirou allowed him to perch on his shoulder and moved to the door.

* * *

 _And we'll leave the chapter there. Review responses:_

 **A.K.J.19:** _That last part with Shirou and the Cookie was gold, he is like what ten years old now?_ –Nine, but close enough. I'm glad you liked the part, as well as the parts about Hercules complimenting him, the exploring, and the updates!

 **DPSS:** _Why wouldn't it show up in-story? If each keyblade has a different transformation and Shirou managed to transform Vir to shift and/or copy other weapons, it would be the perfect way to make him stronger._ –Largely because the keychains may not be a branch of the Keyblade I touch on too much, outside of with Sora. There's still a chance, but it's also just as likely that it's something I'll end up passing over.

 **Aburg76:** Thank you for the compliments! _Seriously what was Shirou doing with Magic when Hercules came in?_ –That was just Shirou using his heart magic to try and get a gauge of Hercules's emotions. Sorry for any confusion on that!

 **The Rank 5 Ninja:** I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! _You know, this chapter really left me feeling pseudo-depressed for both Shirou and Sora….DARNIT AUTHOR, WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE._ – Haha, well, if I'm doing that, then hey, I'm doing my job. (Well, making people feel things, at least.) It's certainly not easy for either of them at the moment, as you pointed out.

 **bowser3000000:** _How will you manage the Fifth Holy Grial War? Considering all the changes you have been doing until now._ – That'd be spoilers. Needless to say, though, it'll certainly be a bit different than canon.

 **Parks98:** _With Sora we know that he kinda wants to talk about it but it just feels to painful but now he starting to realize that he hasn't really done anything for Shirou._ – Yeah, it's not something easy for Sora to bring up, considering what happened, but he's…definitely worried for Shirou, to say the least. _So it's pretty obvious that an orphaned character will make a relationship with their mentor to substitute in some way and I we even see that with Shirou thinking he's done something wrong when Sora wants to stop his training for a little bit because that's all they've every done._ – Yep, that's what I was going for! The idea behind Sora and Shirou's relationship is meant to resemble the man who fathered an unknown child, and now all of a sudden has to take care of said child. _Now though or at least soon Sora should be suspecting that Shirou needs SOME normalcy and not full time training 24/7._ – It's coming… Anyway, to try and abridge this, for your comment on Shirou potentially creating a Reality Marble, he _might_ still have the ability, but it's not something he'd likely be able to activate easily. As for your comment about Shirou finding a friend, well…a certain rat that appeared in this chapter might be a good candidate.

 **ultima-owner:** _Visiting new worlds sound like a blast of a time._ –Indeed it does.

 **Server lock:** Firstly, thank you for so many reviews, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Now to address some specific points in some of your reviews. _Ch. 13: Is that girl Alaya, well I guess to the world Shirou is very important._ –If you're referring to the world our mysterious friend was talking to, then yes, that was Alaya. _Ch. 16: I know this is probably hinted at in a different chapter, but Sora is probably going to learn reinforcement.—_ Eh, never actually hinted at this, though another reviewer came up with a similar idea that was pretty cool. _Ch. 26: A robot and a person with Ptsd out adventuring, what could go wrong, lol._ –Absolutely nothing. I'm sure it'll go great.

 **Joachim Armster:** _Honestly despite being shorter this chapter feels almost more complete than the last one and for that i have to say good job._ – Ah, that's good! I'm glad to hear it. _The story is picking up and i think it will be interesting to see them do something non combat related especially because unlike kiritsugu and taiga who for various reasons…didn't really realize that shirou as a child had massive psychological damage with sora not being so distracted with running and training might just realize he needs real help or at least acknowledge that there is a problem_. – Yeah, Sora will certainly have a better chance at noticing things, though whether he's actually able to get help…well. _In the review reply section i would suggest summarizing questions that you are replying to. Just one line or so, so that people don't have to sift through the reviews to understand your replies._ – This is a…variation on your suggestion, though I'm debating on how well it works. I'll probably play with it a little and see if I can't get something more stream-lined.

 _Any thoughts? Please drop a review and let me know!_


	28. Meet the Chef

_Okay, here's our next chapter. Thank you UNKNOWNGPX, The Rank 5 Ninja, ultima-owner, Parks98, Server lock, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Meet the Chef**

Sora slashed. The Kingdom Key collided with one of the pot-shaped Heartless. The creature released an odd, squeaking noise, then dissipated into darkness, pink heart floating skyward.

Sora took a step back. "Well, that's the last of them. How are you doing on your end, Shirou?"

The street before him was empty.

Sora's heart dropped. He released the Kingdom Key. "Shirou? Shirou!"

No one answered, and Sora dashed around the area, peering inside the ice cream shop, around the buildings, under tables, and glancing in neighboring stores. He paused to collect himself, running his hands over his face. "Okay, okay," he muttered to himself. "Think. It didn't look like he was injured. There's no blood anywhere, and Shirou can handle basic Heartless fairly well. But where did he go, an why?"

Knowing his apprentice, he supposed he might have chased a Heartless away, or went checking to make sure there weren't any more. Maybe he found others while he was out.

But that still left Sora with a whole world to search for his missing apprentice.

Sora took a deep breath. He tapped into his magic and sent tendrils outward in multiple directions. The magic brushed the hearts of humans, rodents, birds, even a few stray cats, but found no sign of the specific, familiar heart he searched for. "So he's not close by." He sighed, and half considered just asking the world for help. He paused. He didn't know this world, and didn't know the boundaries of what he could and couldn't do. _I'll save that for a last resort._ He shook away his fear. _For now, I'll just try to find him on foot._ He moved, deciding to follow the road for the moment, occasionally tapping into his magic to check hearts while his eyes scanned the bustling crowd.

Sora paused. He thought he sensed a familiar heart, beating faintly to his right. He stopped to focus his magic further.

Someone stumbled in front of him, nearly dropping the two large garbage bags he lugged along.

"Careful!" Sora caught him, nudging him upright, his grip on his magic lost.

The man—red haired, gangly, with a large nose and awkward smile—readjusted his grip. "Thanks."

"Do you want some help?"

"No, no, it's fine. Just got to take out some garbage." The man smiled weakly. "I work at that restaurant, there." He pointed to a building with stars glowing at the top, some distance away.

"Gusteau's?" Sora read, frowning. "Is that, ah, a name?"

Relief swamped him when the man nodded. "Yeah. He was this really famous chef. Well, when he was alive. I guess he's still famous, just not—" He stopped. "Anyway, my mom set it up so that I'd be able to work here. Not that she's really around anymore, either, but you know." He shrugged, dropping a garbage back to scratch his neck, then fumbled to lift the bag again. A sad look crossed his face.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. She had an okay life. Not the greatest, but it could have been worse." His eyes shifted, and he hefted the garbage bags higher. "Anyway, I've got to get these to the dumpster."

"Isn't there one behind the restaurant?"

"Well, yeah, but my boss wants it far away. I don't know, I guess he's pretty picky about that."

Sora frowned. He hesitated, glancing towards the restaurant, then took one of the garbage bags. "Here."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine, I've got it."

"Yeah, but it'll be easier if I help. Besides," he grinned, "I think I might have some business at your restaurant. Oh, what's your name? I'm Sora."

"Linguini."

 **-Shirou** looked, wide-eyed, around the kitchen. He pressed back against the wall, letting someone—a chef, he assumed—rush past him.

The rat, who had hid inside Shirou's shirt once he'd entered, peered out of Shirou's collar, nose twitching.

Shirou whispered, "Where do we go?"

The rat sniffed, eyes drooping, then slipped out of Shirou's collar and to the floor. He moved through the kitchen.

"Sl-slow down!"

Someone looked at him, paused, then frowned deeply. "There should be no children back here."

"Oh." He glanced after the rat. "I'm just here with my friend. He really wanted to come back here."

"There's another one?"

"Um."

The rat had stopped, glancing back his way. His ear twitched.

Shirou gestured to move.

The rat hid beneath a cart.

"We didn't know we weren't allowed back here."

"Well, you aren't. Where are your parents? I'd like to have a word with them." He reached for Shirou's collar.

Shirou ducked away.

"Hey!"

Pots clattered against a counter, drawing the man's attention.

Shirou dashed towards an open door and slipped inside, pulling it closed.

The rat raced after him, just making it inside.

Shirou exhaled heavily.

The rat skittered up a shelf and gave him a thumbs-up.

He whispered, "That was you?"

The rat shrugged and nodded.

"Thanks." He cracked the door open.

The chef was cleaning up the mess, complaining to another, who'd come to help him.

Shirou shut the door. "If we're not allowed back here, how are we going to cook anything?"

The rat shrugged, glancing away.

Shirou cupped his chin. He peered out again, eyes darting about the kitchen. "Maybe we could make something in here?" Not that there were many options; it appeared he'd hidden them in more of a broom closet than anything. Brooms and mops sat propped around the area. Brushes, buckets, and soap lay scattered beneath them. A few white jackets, like the kind the chefs wore, were thrown in the corner, crumpled and stained.

The rat scurried past him and out the door.

Shirou frowned, but followed the rat's course.

The rat skidded around people's legs, ducking under trays and tables. He climbed up a counter and made a beeline for a large chef's hat that had been set aside. He slipped beneath it, and the hat slowly moved towards the counter's edge. The hat toppled to the ground, stilled for a moment, then rolled towards the closet.

Shirou opened the door and dragged the hat inside.

The rat emerged, pointed at the hat, then at Shirou's head.

"You want me to pretend to be a chef?"

The rat nodded.

Shirou frowned and considered the idea. "I guess it's fine." He put on the hat and dragged one of the coats free. It dangled around his knees and swamped his hands. He rolled up the sleeves and stuffed some sponges in his sneakers.

The rat crawled back under the hat.

"Ready?" He didn't wait for an answer, hesitantly edging out of the closet. He ducked his head. The chefs brushed past him, but didn't seem to pay him much mind anymore, shouting and rushing about the kitchen, focusing on creating the dishes.

The rat tugged his hair.

He jerked.

The rat tugged again, on the right.

Shirou turned. A stove sat at the back of the restaurant, mostly abandoned, a pot on the burner. He moved towards it.

Soup bubbled in the pot. A pleasant aroma drifted towards him.

The rat slipped out from under his hat and down his arm. He leapt onto the counter, sniffing.

Shirou whispered, "What do you want to do here?"

The rat tapped his muzzle. He sniffed again, then lifted a small paw. He scurried away, disappearing from Shirou's sight momentarily, occasionally appearing when he obtained several small ingredients. He returned with his paws full. He set them aside. He examined the items—various herbs and spices, Shirou assumed, then pointed at one pile, then at the pot.

Shirou glanced between him and the soup, then hesitantly attempted to scoop up the pile.

The rat placed his paws against Shirou's hand. He took a pinch and lifted it towards him, then returned it to the pile.

Shirou frowned, then pinched some of the green ingredient between his fingers and lifted it.

The rat nodded.

Shirou dropped the incredient in the soup.

The rat pointed at another pile, this time miming a larger scoop, and Shirou obeyed. The process continued for a short while, Shirou following the rat's instructions. At some point the rat dashed away, returning with more ingredients that he'd toss into the soup, leaving Shirou to stir.

The rat skidded to a halt. His fur lifted. He dashed up Shirou's arm and beneath his hat.

Shirou frowned.

"You!"

Shirou whipped around.

A short man stalked towards him, waving a finger. "What are you doing here? This area is for chefs only!"

Shirou stared, unsure how to answer.

"I do not remember hiring a child! Who is responsible for this?" He glanced around, then eyed Shirou suspiciously. "You were not messing with the soup, were you?"

"I—"

"I'm back!" a new voice interrupted. A man stumbled through the chefs, nearly tipping something over and apologizing profusely. Another followed behind him and smiled weakly.

"Sora!"

"Hey." Sora raised an eyebrow. "This is a new pastime."

"Is that bad?" Something uncertain shivered down his spine.

"Wha—no, no! But maybe not in a restaurant. That we're not supposed to be in."

The small chef whipped around. "This child is with you?"

"Ah, yes?"

His furious gaze turned towards the other man. "Linguini! Is this your doing?"

"No, no, I didn't have any idea he was back here!"

"He's right," Sora added. "He ran off. I was trying to find him. Sorry if he caused any trouble."

Shirou flushed red and looked away.

"You had better hope he didn't—" He stopped.

A waiter hurried past, carrying a tray with a large bowl. A familiar smell wafted past them.

The rat crouched lower.

The chef half-whispered, "Is that the soup?"

The strange man asked, "Is something wrong with that?"

"Yes, yes, _he_ ," he gestured angrily towards Shirou, "messed with it!"

Shirou shrunk under Sora's surprised stare, wishing he could hide in the too-large coat.

"O-oh, I've got it, sir!" The red-haired man raced through the kitchen, nearly knocking another chef over. He apologized and hurried through the double-doors. A moment later he backed through them, apologizing profusely and lifting his hands.

"Linguini," the short man growled.

"They already had it at the table." Linguini rubbed his neck.

The man growled, "You idiot! That was for a critic."

"Oh."

The man threw his arms into the air, pointed at Shirou and shouted, "Out! Get out of my kitchen!" He raced towards the kitchen's window.

The rat's paws curled into Shirou's hair.

"Shirou," Sora sighed, "what were you doing? This isn't like you."

"I was helping someone."

"Who?"

Shirou hesitated, then lifted the hat.

The rat jerked.

Linguini startled backwards.

Sora sighed again, rubbing his neck.

Shirou replaced the hat.

"It's great that you wanted to help and all, but you've probably caused a lot of problems for these guys. Besides, I don't think this is a place where rats are supposed to be in kitchens."

Linguini glanced at him and hesitantly lifted a finger. "Hey, don't be too hard on him." He crouched near Shirou. "Do you like cooking?"

Shirou paused and thought about it. "I don't know. Maybe." It had certainly been different.

"So, just don't sneak in a restaurant to do it next time. I have a kitchen at my place. Well, sort of. It's kind of small. If you guys wanted to cook there." He shot an uncertain glance towards Shirou's hat.

"Impossible!" interrupted the short man from before.

Several eyes turned towards him.

The man stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, at the waiter.

"It's true," the waiter said. "The critic liked the soup. Said it might be what puts Gusteau's back on the map."

The small chef shot a furious glance Shirou's way, then gestured, half-shouting, "But he's only a child!"

"Perhaps he is a child with talent."

The man leapt down and stalked towards Shirou. "You!"

Sora stepped in front of him. "Don't take it out on him. He's still a kid. We'll leave, alright?"

"No."

Shirou blinked.

The rat on his head shifted.

The man continued. "I want you to come back tomorrow. See if you can make something of similar, ah, _magnitude._ " The man smirked, while the others in the kitchen gawked. He turned and waved.

Shirou stared, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **UNKNOWNGPX** : _What I want to see is how the Keybladers will react to Archer's/EMIYA's Reality Marble and confuse it as the Keybladers Graveyard due to it being a dry, desolate place with blades being stabbed blade first into the ground as far as the eye can see._ – Who told you spoilers?

 **The Rank 5 Ninja:** _Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies of all time, believe it or not, and so not only is it a trip down (revamped) memory lane but it means more development for Shirou, as he figures out exactly what his relationship with Sora is and Sora realizes exactly how much Shirou means to him._ – I'm glad you're so excited for this! Honestly, when I started brainstorming—before I'd even officially decided to write this story—one of the things that really amused me was the idea of Shirou learning to cook in _Ratatouille_ (as well as exploring other worlds). And hey, perfect place for character interaction. Thanks!

 **ultima-owner** : _Shirou will be learning how to cook from his new friend, right?_ – Yep!

 **Parks98:** _Hmmm I hope that Remy and Linguini still meet...ha of course they are._ – Haha, while they _do_ meet, I originally considered not including him, since Shirou's the one who helped Remy cook. Obviously decided against that. _Though it would be funny to see a heartless try and control Anton Ego then when the M.C's beat it we get it the moment that Anton has that flashback as a kid. Or have a protect the restaurant type of mission against a type of heartless boss that looks like a master chef_. – Oh, there's certainly going to be Heartless problems in this restaurant, though I won't say just yet what they are.

 **Server Lock:** _Already we have Shirou bringing a rat into a restaurant... That ladies, and gentlemen is what we call something going wrong._ – And simultaneously right at the same time.

 **Joachim Armster:** _So do the memories (xion) that follow shirou feel what shirou feels as well, hence the ice cream?_ – They don't feel what Shirou feels, since they aren't actually a part of him. Xion is…kind of more like a ghost in this case, and Shirou is sort of an anchor to keep her in this world, if that makes sense. Shirou just offered the ice cream because he knew Xion liked it and was feeling sad, and didn't entirely know how to make her feel better. _I am glad you took up my advice for the commentary i hope it reduces the amount of work in the long run._ – Yeah, hopefully. Haha, I think I'm getting used to the format, as well. Thanks!

 _Anything you'd like to say about the chapter? I'd appreciate a review letting me know!_


	29. Connection

_Here's chapter twenty-nine. Thank you Aburg76, A.K.J.19, Kiri Katou Clover, ultima-owner, Parks98, Server lock, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Connection**

Linguini led Sora and Shirou to his apartment. "Well, here we are." He shoved the door open.

Clutter filled the apartment. A small kitchen sat barricaded on one side. Windows filled the wall nearby. A lamp swung above. A refrigerator and table pressed against one wall. Various objects lay strewn about. "Sorry about the mess." Linguini pushed a green couch aside. "The bathroom's there." He pointed to a small room to the right. "I usually just sleep on the couch, but one of you can have it until, you know, you guys need to leave."

Sora said, "Shirou, you can have it."

Almost simultaneously Shirou said, "It's alright, you don't have to."

The rat sighed.

Linguini scratched his head. "Okay, well, make yourselves comfortable, I guess." He shuffled to a closet at one side.

Sora released a heavy breath. He turned and bent to look at the rat still perched on Shirou's head. He said, "I don't think I officially gave you my name. I'm Sora. I'm guessing you already know Shirou."

The rat nodded.

"Do you have a name?"

The rat gave him a dry look.

"I'm guessing you can't speak out language." Sora considered possibly attempting to add another language translation spell.

The rat nodded. He paused, then lifted a finger. He crawled down Shirou's arm and bounded over to the table. He took a pen, braced it against his shoulder, and carefully scrawled something across a loose piece of paper.

Both Shirou and Sora squinted at the words. "'Remy'?" Shirou asked hesitantly.

The rat nodded.

"Hey!" Linguini called, startling them. "I got some blankets, and I found an extra pillow. It's kind of old, though." He hit the stiff thing once.

Sora smiled crookedly. "That's alright. We've had some pretty interesting sleeping situations before." He took a blanket and the pillow and passed them to Shirou.

Shirou frowned, but didn't argue.

Sora accepted his own blanket. "So. How are we going to go about this?"

Linguini glanced towards him. "Hm?"

"Shirou has to go back tomorrow. Remy was the one who did the cooking, right?"

Shirou and Remy both nodded.

Linguini asked, "Remy?"

"The rat." Sora rolled his eyes sideways. "But Remy's not supposed to be in the restaurant, I'm guessing."

Remy nodded, eyes falling slightly.

"So how are we going to pull this off?"

Silence hung heavy in the apartment. Linguini ventured, "He could say he just made it by accident."

Sora nodded. "Maybe that'd be best."

Shirou frowned. He glanced towards Remy.

"Alright." Sora sighed, shoulders sinking. "Let's try and get some sleep, okay? Then we'll have Linguini take us with him tomorrow and let the chef know."

Linguini sprawled across the couch, while Sora and Shirou spread their blankets across the floor. Shirou reluctantly placed the pillow nearby.

Sora glanced towards his apprentice and sighed. "Everything alright?"

Shirou hesitated. He glanced towards Remy.

"He'll be alright. He has somewhere to go back to, I'm sure." He grinned. "Hey, we're supposed to be relaxing, right? Try not to worry."

Shirou nodded.

 _ **-Sora**_ _stood in a wide expanse of darkness, murk swirling around his legs. He blinked, his eyes aching. "Hello?" His voice fell flat, dead, sinking like a weight into the murk below. Something cold and slimy clung to his arms and swept past his face. He tried to brush it away, his arms moving as if through sludge. "What is this place?"_

 _"You don't know?" a voice whispered. The words seemed to carry a physical quality, sliding through his ears and freezing them._

 _A much different chill settled in his heart. "You shouldn't be here."_

 _"Shouldn't I?" The image of the Puppet Master materialized in the darkness, the murk swirling behind and beneath him._

 _"No. You're locked in the Realm of Sleep." Sora took a deep breath. "This isn't real."_

 _"Is it, now?" The Puppet Master loomed before him. "You should know better than anyone, Sora, that even memories can be very, very real."_

 _Sora leaned away. He gritted his teeth and attempted to summon the Kingdom Key. The weapon didn't materialize. He took a deep breath and stood straighter, eyes locked. "Get out."_

 _"Oh? You mean you don't want to connect to_ my _heart, too? How sad. You'll connect to fake hearts."_

 _Sora didn't move, didn't speak._

 _The Puppet Master moved, ghostly body phasing through Sora's, leaving behind a chill and whispered words, "You know the truth, deep inside your heart, but you refuse to admit it. When will you stop blinding your heart?"_

 _"Wha—" The words caught in his throat. Images and emotions bombarded him, too rapid and various for him to discern._

 _He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. His head pounded. His body went rigid. His heart stuttered, and swelled, and he wanted to scream but it felt like something had blocked his throat, his hands wanting to claw at his throat but forced to stay rigid, charged, at his side, like the memories were filling his body, and suddenly the energy seemed too much, like his body was too small._

 _The darkness closed over his eyes and wrapped thick, sickening claws around his heart._

 **-Sora** snapped awake and realized he wasn't breathing. Slowly he coaxed his lungs to work, his breath slowly returning. _You're okay. You're here, in this moment. Lying on the floor, under an old blanket, in Linguini's apartment. Shirou's beside—_

Shirou's blanket had been thrown aside.

Sora stiffened, and almost leapt into action when quiet words drifted his way: "Is this one right?"

A pause and some shuffling.

Shirou's voice came again. "Okay, now what?"

Metal clinked quietly on metal.

Sora pushed himself into a sitting position.

Shirou stood in the kitchen, his back to Sora, various ingredients scattered about. Remy sat near him, watching critically.

Sora slowly pushed the blanket away.

Shirou said, "I don't think this looks right."

Remy shrugged, though he looked troubled, as well.

Sora tapped Shirou's shoulder.

The boy jumped. His hand hit the bowl, and it clattered loudly.

Sora lifted his hands. "Sorry, sorry!" he half-whispered. Lowering his voice, he added, "Just wanted to see what you were doing."

Shirou shoved the bowl aside, trying to block it, turning red. "Nothing."

Remy nodded vigorously.

"If you wanted to cook, we could've done that tomorrow."

"It's not really cooking."

Sora raised an eyebrow and waited.

Shirou hesitantly dragged the bowl back into view. "Remy said he'd try and help me make ice cream if I helped him into the restaurant."

"At night?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?"

Shirou hesitated, then shook his head.

"Shirou."

"It's fine. They don't really bother me anymore." He lifted his head, face and eyes going blank. "It's just a thing that happened."

Sora watched him. Hesitantly he tapped into his magic, a tendril curling towards Shirou's heart. It seemed empty, frail, as fragile and transparent as glass.

"Why ice cream?"

Some faint emotion entered his heart. Embarrassment, maybe? For the moment the emotions stilled seemed suppressed. "It's—because."

"Because?"

The emotions trickled back in, more obvious, the embarrassment tangled with worry. "You like ice cream." The words came uncertainly, and guilt mingled with the other emotions. "So I thought if I learned to make it, it might help with the episodes." Something light and pure tangled with the emotions.

He cut the magic free. "Shirou. Didn't I say that—"

Shirou flashed him a look, forcing him to stop.

He suddenly realized Remy had disappeared.

"I have," Shirou paused, his face crinkled, then he started again, "I have to help you."

"You don't have to do anything." He bent to Shirou's level, hands resting on his shoulders. "The 'episodes' aren't fun, but I can handle them. I've been doing it for a long time now."

"That doesn't mean it's fair."

"Would you say the same about your nightmares?"

"But they're just there."

Sora worried his lip, eyes searching Shirou's. He sighed. "Well, we're both already awake, aren't we? Let's see if we can figure out how to make this."

Shirou turned to him, wide-eyed, then nodded, quickly.

Sora smiled and gathered the ingredients.

 **-Shirou** jerked awake when someone shook his shoulder. He blinked bleary eyes.

Linguini grinned awkwardly. "H-hey. Shirou, right? It's morning."

Shirou sat up. At some point in the night he and Sora must have fallen asleep; his mentor was sprawled across the floor, snoring quietly.

Remy peered over the table and waved. The smell of eggs wafted through the apartment.

"Yeah, the little chef woke up early and made us breakfast." Linguini moved to shake Sora awake.

Shirou sat up and rubbed his eyes. Their mess from the previous night—bowls, ingredients, and various stirring utensils—still lay strewn about the counter and table. Shirou stood, gathering some of the dishes and depositing them in the sink.

"Oh!" Linguini shouted.

Sora jumped to awareness. "Wha—what is it?"

"We're late!"

Shirou blinked, and suddenly he was being tugged along.

Remy landed on his shoulder, clinging desperately.

The small group rushed through the city, hurrying towards Gusteau's, hardly sparing the time to glance about. Linguini ushered them in through the back. "Okay, I've got to get to work, but just stay here, okay?" He rushed away.

Shirou glanced about the kitchen, which was already in a flurry of action. He eyed them and thought over last night's decision. Maybe it was better that they _did_ say he couldn't do this. After all, he really didn't have any idea how to cook, and learning wouldn't really help with his training, he didn't think. He couldn't make ice cream, but his mentor had seemed less enthusiastic about it than he'd thought.

Remy, who'd crawled inside his shirt, sighed.

Shirou tapped into his magic. He sent tendrils all around him, and suddenly found himself bombarded by emotions. He drew back, head reeling, and instead just focused on Remy. He briefly caught the reluctant defeat that radiated from the rat before, his head still spinning, he let the magic go.

"Ah," a voice said, "I was wondering if you would appear again." The short chef from the previous day approached them, smirking. "Linguini says you have something to tell me?"

Linguini stood behind him, wringing his hands.

"Yeah," Sora said. He paused, his expression unreadable. Then he smiled. "Just wanted to say you won't be disappointed!"

Shirou swiveled to him and gaped.

Remy jerked on Shirou's back.

Linguini squeaked, "Really?"

The small chef echoed, "Really."

"Yep!" Sora threw and arm around Shirou's shoulder. "This kid's the best chef you'll ever see!" He glanced at Shirou, still grinning, and the boy was still took shocked to properly tap into his magic and try to decipher what his master was thinking.

"I see," the chef said, folding his arms. "If that is true, then let's see what the _child_ can do."

* * *

 _That's the end of this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Wow ratatouille, I guess you had to make him a good chef somehow._ – Haha, yep. I figured learning from Remy would be a good way to do that and include a fun Disney world simultaneously.

 **A.K.J.19:** _Well I guess he had to learn to cook somehow I mean if it's not if he doesn't cook well then he really isn't shirou_. – I don't know if I'd say he isn't Shirou if he doesn't learn how to cook, but I thought it'd be a cool way to include that element of his character. _I hope the heartless don't try and sabotage this._ – Heartless? Sabotage? Never…

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Shirou still learns to cook!_ – Yes, indeed.

 **ultima-owner:** _He'll be a master cook in no time._ – Haha, maybe not 'no time,' but he'll get there.

 **Parks98:** _Hehe it's funny that we get to see shirou will also learn how to cook since in a lot of the fandom he has "godly cooking" or "Cooking that would make him a heroic spirit" and now he gets to learn how to cook from a super mouse plus an entire restaurant of high class French cooks._ – Haha, yep! We're just going to take that element and roll with it. _I hope that Linguini and Colette still have that friendship: romance._ – I'm really not sure how much I'll feature that at this point. There might be some nods to it, but I don't _think_ it'll be very prominent. _Oh and Damn that Kingdom hearts 2.8 trailer!_ – I know! I am so psyched for this game.

 **Server lock:** _And so the legacy of Shirou's cooking skills manifests itself in the form of a rat._ – Haha, yep.

 **Joachim Armster:** _This chapter was very amusing. It was honestly more humorous than i was expecting._ – Glad you enjoyed it! While my mind wasn't necessarily going 'funny,' it _was_ going 'lighter,' so I guess that's how it worked out. _As for the previous answer you gave, i have to say that makes more sense; although i had kind of hoped that it was an extension of heart magic to transfer your feelings to another kind of like ni no kuni where you can take emotions from one person and transfer them to another only less dark (in the way that it is basically a form of mind control)._ – It is something I _considered_ including, but ended up deciding that it'd be better to stick with it mostly affecting the user. So, I guess that's kind of a consolation?

 _If there's anything you'd like to say about the chapter, I would love it if you left it in a review!_


	30. Guardian

_Here's the next chapter! Thank you RedRat8, reality deviant, DPSS, nim istar, Server lock, ultima-owner, Aburg76, A.K.J.19, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty: Guardian**

Shirou found himself ushered through the kitchen, chefs pushing past him and staring.

Remy clung to his back, shifting, but Shirou felt too disoriented by the rapid movement to find out what he was feeling.

The small chef positioned him in front of the same stove he'd worked at before. "Now," he said, "show us how you made this 'masterpiece.'"

Shirou looked towards Sora.

His mentor whipped around, grinning, and said, "Hey, maybe we shouldn't watch. He's kind of nervous about these things."

"Eh? Ridiculous. He will be fine."

"Yeah, but, what's that saying? A watched pot never boils?" Sora knelt, draped an arm over the man's shoulder, and spun him around.

The man tried to throw off Sora's arm.

Sora cast a look back, winked, then continued to talk animatedly with the chef.

A grateful smile pulled Shirou's lips.

Remy peeked from Shirou's shirt.

Shirou whispered, "What do we do?"

Remy's nose twitched, and he glanced around the kitchen. He ducked beneath Shirou's shirt, crawled across his shoulders, and tugged the fabric on the left sleeve.

Shirou hesitated, then moved, glancing around for what Remy might have seen.

A small paw slapped his neck.

Shirou stopped.

Several chefs stood around a counter, cutting vegetables.

Shirou edged closer to them.

One flashed him a condescending glance.

Shirou turned away quickly and scanned the vegetables.

Remy skittered around beneath his shirt, jabbing places.

One of the chef's asked, "What's that?"

Shirou slapped his shirt down, muffling Remy's squeak. "Could I borrow one of everything?"

"You can't 'borrow' food in a kitchen." The man glanced towards the small chef, who was still occupied with Sora, then shrugged. "Sure. If the boss has you in here, who am I to argue?"

"Thanks." Shirou kept one hand on his shirt and hesitantly picked out several vegetables, clutching them close with his free arm and hurrying back to his station. He spread them across the counter.

Remy tugged the back of his shirt.

Shirou whipped around and moved.

Several spices and herbs sat in bottles nearby. This time, with no one around, Shirou allowed Remy to guide him, lifting the bottles that Remy pointed at and hurrying back to his station. "Now what?"

Remy peeked from beneath Shirou's shirt. His nose twitched, and his contemplative gaze scanned the vegetables. He pointed.

Shirou lifted the carrot to put it in the pot.

Remy slapped his neck. He mimed cutting the vegetable.

Shirou set the carrot back on the counter. He lifted a knife and slapped it through the vegetable.

Remy jumped.

Someone coughed.

The small chef watched him, arms folded.

Sora stood just behind him, miming a more gentle cutting motion.

Shirou watched, then carefully mimicked the action. Small carrot bits peeled away.

Sora flashed him a thumbs-up, then turned back to the chef, distracting him.

Shirou puffed a sigh.

Remy slipped his head free and watched momentarily, then returned to his hiding place. He guided him, pointing at different vegetables or spices, miming different actions, having Shirou throw different ingredients into the soup. A pleasant smell wafted from the pot. Shirou stirred, eyebrows furrowed while the pale soup swirled about the pot.

"Alright, alright!" the small chef shouted, making Shirou and Remy both jump. "That's enough. Let's see if the soup is up to standards, yes?" He moved past Shirou and extended a hand.

It took a moment for Shirou to realize he wanted to spoon. He passed the implement carefully, soup sloshing about inside the dip.

The chef took it and sipped. His expression contorted to bliss, then rage.

"Well?" Sora asked. A note of uncertainty entered his tone. "What do you think?"

"It's," the chef paused, moving the spoon away, still looking disgusted, "good."

Sora smiled broadly. "See! I told you."

"But," the chef swiped the spoon aside and jabbed a finger into Shirou's chest, "that means nothing! You are still a child, and hardly fit to work in a restaurant such as this."

Shirou blinked, attempting to process the words. "Work? Here?"

Sora's expression flickered, and Shirou quickly tapped into his magic.

Sora flashed him a disapproving look before he could even touch his mentor's heart, the emotions hidden by a wall.

"What?" the chef asked, interrupting Shirou's thought process. "You don't want to work here?"

Shirou shook his head.

The chef's eyebrow lowered. "Then why did you sneak back here?"

"I, um." He flashed Sora a helpless glance.

"He, ah, wanted to see what it was like. Guess it's not for him."

The chef's lip curled into a sneer. "You cannot be serious."

Something brushed Shirou's heart. He winced, lifting a hand to his chest.

Sora's attention snapped to someplace just beyond the chef. "Yeah." His eyes narrowed, then he shook his head. "So we'll just be heading out for now, okay?" Sora's hand landed on Shirou's shoulder.

Linguini hurried over to them. "Hey, is everything going alright?"

The small chef snorted and turned to leave. "I want them out of my restaurant!"

Linguini blinked, looking between them and the chef before hesitantly saying, "A-actually, it's Gusteau's restaurant." He trailed away, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

Remy, inside Shirou's shirt, sighed.

"Well," Sora said after a moment, "that didn't really go as expected."

Shirou nodded, blinking wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," Linguini told them. "Um, you can head back to my apartment or something. Here's a key."

"Thanks." Sora flashed Shirou a wry grin. "Anyway, we'll probably be sticking around for a while. You don't have to house us the whole time."

"It's fine. I mean, you don't have anywhere to go, right?"

That seemed to settle the matter. Sora, Shirou, and Remy left the kitchen and trailed down the streets.

Remy slipped from beneath Shirou's shirt and heaved another sigh.

Shirou glanced at him, then hesitantly towards Sora. "I felt something brush my heart in there."

"Yeah. Looks like that guy's heart has quite a bit of darkness. It might attract some strong Heartless if we're not careful."

"That's why we're staying around."

Sora suddenly looked alarmed. "Well, it's—you don't have to worry about it. You relax, okay? Ah." He glanced towards Remy. "You could learn how to cook."

Remy perked up slightly.

Shirou frowned. "I can help."

"I know. But we're supposed to be relaxing, right?"

"That includes you."

Sora sighed and rubbed his neck. "Alright, compromise. Neither of us will do anything for now, okay? We'll just keep an eye on things."

Shirou considered him, then nodded. He paused, then continued, "I want to practice magic, too."

"Hm?"

"I thought I had better control. But then I felt the darkness from that chef without tapping into it."

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about. That's actually pretty normal as your magic develops."

"It is?"

"Yeah. You become more sensitive to light and darkness as time goes on. It's pretty gradual to keep from overwhelming you." A shadow crossed Sora's face. "We'll still keep an eye on it, though."

 **-Shirou** stood near the counter. Flour and dough covered it, as well as Shirou's face and arms.

Remy watched a short distance away, a pensive expression crossing his face.

Sora had left a few hours ago—to check the chef at the restaurant, Shirou assumed, though he wasn't sure.

Linguini, who had the day off, sat on the couch. "How's it going?"

"Alright."

Linguini moved to stand by him. "Um, so, are you really interested in cooking?"

Shirou shifted to look at him, then shrugged. "Sora thinks I should."

"That's not an answer."

Shirou frowned at the dough.

Linguini scratched his head. "So, what _is_ Sora to you? Is he like a cousin or an uncle or something?"

"He's my master."

"What?"

"Mentor."

"Oh. What's he teach you?"

Shirou recalled Sora's words on not meddling in world affairs—and Remy's disbelief after their talk about magic—and wondered what to say. He eventually decided on a version of the truth. "He teaches me how to sword fight. We travel around a lot."

"Really?" Linguini's voice rose a few octaves, then he cleared his throat. "That must be cool. Do you ever get back to see your parents."

"Parents?"

"Yeah, you know—oh." Linguini stared, his expression falling. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I don't remember them." Heat licked the back of his neck. He took a deep breath and rubbed it. Screams filled his ears.

Something tapped his hand. He honed in on Remy. He took several steadying breaths and nodded.

Uncertain silence hung between them. "You know," Linguini began, "I don't really have parents anymore, either." He shrugged. "I never knew my dad, but my mom was real nice. She kept me afloat for a long time." Something entered Linguini's expression that Shirou couldn't place, and suddenly he felt keenly like he was missing something. "She used to sing me this song, even after I got too old for it. I mean, she could be really strict, too, but I like remembering the good times, you know?"

Something deep in his chest ached. For the first time in a long time, he thought about the world he'd come from, and wondered what was happening there, and how things might've been different if his parents hadn't died in the fire.

Something wet slid down his cheeks. He touched it, blinking.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean to make you upset! I mean, maybe you don't have parents anymore, but you have a pretty cool guardian, right?"

Shirou nodded, suddenly finding he couldn't speak. He turned back to the dough and kneaded it absently.

Remy watched him, then gently went to his hands and mimed a slightly different motion that Shirou mimicked.

The door creaked open. "I'm back." Sora's footsteps moved towards them. "How's everything going?"

Linguini stepped away, offering some excuse about having other things to do.

"Shirou?" Sora's voice trailed away. "Are you alright?"

Shirou looked at him, a question on his lips that he couldn't quite bring himself to ask. Instead, he looked at the dough, and asked, "Remember when we tried to make ice cream?"

"Yeah."

"Can you help me try and make this, too?"

"Sure?"

"And learn with me?"

Heavy silence stretched between them. When Sora spoke again, his voice was more serious, something weighing heavily in the words. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that."

 **-Sora** sat outside the Gummi ship. The cool night air wrapped around him. He puffed a sigh, two letters clenched between his hands. He needed to hurry back, he knew; he didn't need Shirou worrying about him.

One letter was from Aqua. He hadn't known the Keyblade Master knew how to reach him; he guessed she'd gotten help from Kairi. The two kept close contact, even after Kairi had stopped her training. He dreaded opening the letter, but knew he couldn't keep putting it off.

The other was from Kairi. He sighed, and lifted the paper again, scanning the words.

 _Sora,_

 _Hey! How have you been? I'm glad Shirou's training is going well. I'm impressed he can already do Keyblade transformations at all. Isn't that something that took you a long time to do? You must be a pretty good teacher if he's already that far. Or he's just a good student._

 _Radiant Garden is well. We've had some Heartless problems, but nothing major. I've been trying to teach some of the young guards light magic. They're learning, though I think it'll be a while before they can do anything big! There was something weird going on with Space Paranoids. Tron and Cid have been trying hard to find out what it is, though. Perhaps you'd like to stop by and help?_

 _Leon and Yuffie say 'hi.' They've been busy training new guards. They both seem to enjoy it._

 _Riku stopped by with Emi recently. She's gotten so big! Riku's worried about you, you know. They know you've been in contact with me, but you haven't talked to any of them, and it's…well, it's a lot like back then, right when we defeated the Puppet Master._

 _Sora, I need to know if everything's alright. You don't have to tell me what it is, but I want the truth. Okay? Please just give me that._

 _Love you,_

 _Kairi._

A part of him wondered how long she'd debated over whether to include 'Love you.'

He took a deep breath and pulled out Kairi's charm. He ran a thumb over it, smiling faintly. He looked up at the stars. "Ah, man. Looks like I'm screwing up with a lot of people." He remained there a moment, fingers tightening in the letter.

He returned to the Gummi ship. He hesitated, then took a deep breath and began writing a letter.

 _Kairi,_

 _I'll do one better—I'll come visit. I've been promising that for years, I know, but this time hold me to it. It'll be a couple weeks—I want to keep an eye on something in the world I'm in, and spend some time with Shirou. But then we'll both come._

 _We have a lot to talk about._

* * *

 _Okay, and that's officially the end of this chapter. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _How long till we get to the Grail Conflict part? Cause no offense it just feels...slow at times like this._ – It's still going to be a little bit. Sorry, this chapter is kind of slow, too; at the moment I'm focusing more on character development and setup for…certain developments.

 **reality deviant:** _Like the way you had Shirou learn to cook._ – Thanks!

 **DPSS:** _I wonder if Linguini stil gonna be a Garson (waiter)?_ – Quite possibly, though probably not right away.

 **nim istar:** _You really need to add scene breaks, its hard to keep track of shifting scenes when they just merge together._ \- …I do have scene breaks? That's what the – **bolded word** are for. Unless you're referring to having better scene breaks (which I have in document, but FF takes them out when I uploaded it—hence the reason for the change), which can be difficult to notice on some devices.

 **Server lock:** _A knife is a blade primarily used in cooking, of course with something like swords as his element, and origin this just makes him better at cooking without his knowledge._ – That's not his origin/element here, though? Because of Sora's interference this changed to 'Heart.' Though he does improve at cooking relatively quickly, it's because he really doesn't do things halfway when he chooses to do them. _Remi plus Shirou is basically op even without reinforcement._ – Haha, that's true! Remy will make him a master chef in no time.

 **ultima-owner:** _Accepting this "truth" that he hiding from may lessen his nightmares._ – Possibly, though in the short term it'd be more difficult.

 **Aburg76:** _That scene with Shirou worrying about Sora was rather cute_. – Thanks!

 **A.K.J.19:** _Alright lack of heartless, but the Puppet Master, seriously man I feel as though you are building up to something rather big with Sora._ – Ah, the thing about the Heartless was meant to be a joke. Sorry for the confusion. As for Sora…yes. There's quite a bit I was using that dream to build up for, actually. _Just asking is SHirou an incarnation in this fic?_ – Yes, though with 'Heart' as his origin/element rather than 'Sword.'

 **Joachim Armster:** _This chapter was fun and i am interested in where this goes; however, i am curious as to whether Remy pull shirou's hair or not._ \- Thanks! This chapter probably answered your question, but no, Remy's just going to be teaching him, not controlling him.

 _Any questions/comments? Feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	31. Corruption

_Here's chapter thiry-one. Thank you Aburg76, A.K.J.19, DPSS, reality deviant, ultima-owner, Server lock, shadowace2400, UNKNOWNGPX, and Parks98 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Corruption**

 _Shirou blinked, looking around. "Xion?" he asked tentatively. His words echoed back at him. He glanced about, frowning._

 _Something caught his ankle._

 _He jumped, but the thing held him. A skeletal hand stretched from the murk._

 _"_ _What's wrong?" someone asked. "Aren't you going to do something?"_

 _Shirou stared at the hand._

 _"_ _Oh, how tragic. I guess you're content to sit around with your friends?" A figure stepped from the darkness. He glanced at a skeletal hand. "I see. Even after you've been allowed to survive, you choose to waste that gift."_

 _"_ _I'm not wasting it." His voice came out weaker than he thought it would._

 _"_ _Really? I fail to see how_ cooking _is doing much for others." Something about the figure seemed strangely familiar, but he couldn't place why._

 _"_ _Sora—he seems more relaxed. It helps him."_

 _The figure's head snapped towards him. "Oh, you poor child." The words send a sickly, sticking chill down Shirou's spine. "You think this is helping him, and yet you cannot ask about the Puppet Master." The figure's form shifted to Xion's. "Didn't I warn you about him? Why aren't you trying harder?"_

 _"_ _I—" The ground beneath him surged. He stumbled, nearly falling. Skeletal body parts emerged from the ground, hands clawing up his legs, jaws gaped in silent screams, the words "Help us" whispering through his ears in a horrifying mantra._

 _Shirou turned wide, pleading eyes to Xion. "Help!"_

 _Xion watched him coolly. "But_ you _haven't helped anyone."_

Shirou jerked awake. He took deep breaths, his body shaking. His fingers curled into the blanket, wrapped tightly around his body. Sweat ran down his neck and stuck his shirt to his back. He untangled himself, sitting, suddenly wishing the room were lighter.

He quietly crawled over to Sora's blanket. He hesitated, then lifted it and crawled beneath. His pounding heart calmed slightly.

"Shirou?" Sora asked.

Shirou jerked. A part of him whispered he was too old to be doing this, but he couldn't convince his body to move.

Sora asked, "Nightmare?"

Shirou nodded.

"Okay." Sora's voice sounded like it was already drifting off. "Goodnight, Shirou."

"Night." Sleep, he knew, would still be a long time in coming.

 **-"So,** I put these in, right?" Sora asked.

Remy shook his head.

Shirou said, "It's these," a pushed a handful of herbs towards Sora.

"O-oh! Right." He took a pinch and put it in the pot.

Linguini jumped when Remy pointed at him and mimed stirring. "Okay, okay, little chef!" He began stirring quickly.

Sora laughed.

Shirou reached for a green vegetable Sora had forgotten the name of. "Would these mix well with the other ingredients?"

Remy nodded.

Shirou took a knife and began cutting the vegetable, carefully.

Sora smiled, then stole one of the vegetable pieces.

Shirou frowned.

"I'm helping. I'm making sure it tastes good."

"That's not helping."

"You sure?" He flicked some carrot shavings at him.

"Yes." But a smile tugged Shirou's lips.

Sora snorted, then followed Remy's instructions when the rat drew his attention. The last two weeks had been peaceful, for lack of a better term. He and Shirou had steadily been learning from Remy, with Linguini helping on occasion. While they'd practiced some magic—and occasionally had to head out and fight some Heartless—there had been very little to worry about besides.

And, to Sora's relief, Shirou seemed to lighten up a little during their cooking sessions. Except for today, where a pensive expression seemed to be ever-permanently trying to tug his face down.

Sora nudged him. "Hey. Everything alright?"

"Yeah." Shirou pushed the cut vegetable aside, allowing Remy to inspect it, and pulled another closer. He kept his eyes pinned on it.

"Mm-hm."

Shirou glanced towards him, then Linguini.

Sora flashed a glance towards the man and nodded. "We'll talk about it later then, alright? We'll go on one last walk before we leave."

"Oh, yeah," Linguini interrupted, "you guys are leaving today, aren't you?"

Sora nodded. Something nervous and shivery ran through his chest. He swallowed. _I should probably think of what to tell Kairi. How to handle things. Maybe we could spend a few more days here? Shirou seems to like it._

 _No. No running._

He swallowed his nerves. "We'll come back and visit sometime."

Remy nodded emphatically, pointing to the pot.

Shirou promised, "I'll keep practicing." He shot Sora a glance.

Sora grinned, forced his uncertainty aside, and slung an arm around Shirou's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help."

Shirou yelped, struggling out from under Sora's arm, but he gave him a rare smile.

Sora puffed a relieved sigh. He helped Shirou scoop the vegetables into the soup. They waited for it to finish, then ate in amicable silence. When finished, Sora and Shirou helped wash dishes. Sora puffed a sigh and scratched his neck. "Well? Why don't we go out one last time?"

Shirou nodded.

Linguini asked, "Do you want anyone to come with you guys?"

Sora said, "I think we'll be fine. Thanks, though." They left.

A gloom settled over the city, heavy dark clouds promising rain. Few people traversed the streets. Cars still buzzed by, occasionally running through puddles and sending sprays of water across the sidewalk. Sora and Shirou walked in silence a few moments, Sora casually angling them towards Gusteau's. "So," Sora said, "what's on your mind?"

Shirou didn't answer immediately, his eyes trailing over the sidewalk. "You said we were going to meet a friend of yours."

"Yeah. Are you nervous about that.?"

"No." He shot a quick glance Sora's way. "Are you?"  
"No." Sora's voice came out higher pitched than he'd intended. He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe a little. I haven't seen her in a long time."

"Why?"

"It's," he paused, searching for a way to explain the situation. He sighed. _I'm going to have to tell him eventually._ He shook his head. _But maybe it can wait a little bit longer._ "It's complicated."

Shirou didn't look like he believed him.

"But that's not what's really bothering you."

Shirou shrugged.

Sora scratched his cheek, considering how to approach this. _What would Mom have said?_ "You know you can tell me anything, right?" He paused. "Was it the nightmare?"

Shirou jerked, eyes slipping his way. His eyebrows furrowed into a worried expression. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then looked away and asked, "Where are we going?"

Sora frowned. "To check on that chef at Gusteau's. Nothing bad has happened yet, but I just want to make sure things are still okay on that front."

They reached Gusteau's before long. Sora hesitated at the restaurant entrance.

Something twitched around the building's side.

Shirou whipped towards it, hand extended to summon Vir.

Sora caught his arm. "Easy. Let me check it out first."

Shirou lowered his arm.

Sora moved around the building's side, and nearly fell when a Shadow lunged for him. He summoned the Kingdom Key and destroyed the creature, darkness splitting around his head.

Several more Heartless spawned: Shadows, Neo Shadows, the pot-like Heartless, and a swarm of smaller Heartless that resembled rats.

Sora pursed his lips. "Guess it's a good thing we checked." He kicked off, sweeping his Keyblade in front of him. The weapon cut through several Shadows and forced back some Neo Shadows. The Pure Blood Heartless sank into the ground, crawling along like dark masses.

An energy arrow buzzed through the air, striking a pot and sending it off balance. Another flew, but missed; a third arrow struck the Heartless more soundly. Shirou frowned, hand shaking, as Vir returned to its normal state.

Sora turned, lifting the Kingdom Key. "Aeroga." The wind spell whipped around him, catching Heartless and sending them into the vortex. Several Heartless exploded into darkness around him; the ones that didn't fell, and he swept upwards, slashing the Kingdom Key across them. Some went flying sideways towards Shirou, who swung Vir quickly. The large Keyblade dragged his arm a little farther than what the boy had probably intended, but he dragged the Keyblade back around and cut through the Heartless.

Some rat Heartless crept towards Shirou.

Sora jerked, intending to intervene, then hesitated. _He's got this._ He clenched a hand.

Shirou's head whipped sideways. He gripped Vir with both hands. He swung Vir, letting the tip sweep beneath one of the Heartless, forcing it into an upright position and blocking the other Heartless, then immediately moved into a diagonal block. When no Heartless charge he angled the blade slightly and speared the upright rat Heartless.

Something moved on the edge of Sora's vision. He swung the Keyblade upwards, the weapon's teeth tearing through one of the pot Heartless. He turned the blade slightly and said, "Fira." A fireball flew from the tip into a second Heartless hovering behind the first, destroying it in dark trails. He settled into position and stepped, Keyblade slashing through one of the Heartless, then moved again, sending one flying to the side. It crashed into a second and they rolled towards the building. "Blizzard!" The ice crystals hit the dark creatures' stomachs, and the faded to darkness, pink hearts floating skyward.

Silence settled over the area. Sora dismissed the Kingdom Key.

Shirou moved towards him. "Were they attracted by that chef?"

"Maybe. It could just as easily be because of the Keyblade." Sora tapped into his magic and sent tendrils outwards, carefully brushing the hearts inside the restaurant.

"Should we," Shirou paused. "Should we do something?"

"Depends on the thing." Sora located the chef's heart, brimming with darkness, inside the kitchen. "Do you remember when I taught you about darkness and light?"

"They're two different aspects of a person's heart."

"Right. And they don't necessarily make a person good or evil. Heartless are attracted to darkness inside people, but if that's all they're attracted to inside this chef, there's nothing I can really do about it. However, if his heart's _corrupted_ , then maybe." He moved towards the kitchen entrance.

Shirou hurried behind him. "Corrupted?"

"Shirou, I'm about to show you a very special type of magic. Watch carefully." He opened the back doors to the restaurant and stepped inside.

One of the workers paused. "What are you doing? Civilians aren't allowed back here!"

Sora grinned and lifted his hands. "Hey, relax. Your head chef knows us. Shirou here's the kid who cooked that stellar meal a while back." He rested a hand on Shirou's back and pushed him forward. "We had something to discuss with him. It's pretty urgent."

The man looked skeptical.

"You can at least let him know, right?"

Shirou added, "I want to learn from him. I heard he's really good." He shot a hesitant look towards Sora.

Sora wondered if his apprentice had tapped into his magic in order to figure out what might sway the worker.

The man finally nodded. "Wait here." He turned and hurried further into the kitchen.

The small chef stalked towards them before long. "So," the man said, a smirk twitching his lips upwards, "you want to learn, do you?"

Shirou suddenly looked like he didn't know what to say.

"Don't think you're too good for us, hm?"

Sora took a deep breath. "Actually, it's pretty crowded in here. Can we talk outside?"

The man flashed him a skeptical look. "Don't worry, you won't be here long."

"Oh, come on. You can leave them for a few moments." Sora grinned broadly and casually guided the man outside.

"What are you—stop! I have a kitchen to manage!"

"This'll just take a sec!" He smiled behind him at the flustered workers and edged the man outside, shutting the door.

The chef fixed his hat, spluttering, "What do you think you are doing?"

Sora hesitated a half-second, wondering if this was a good idea, then summoned the Kingdom Key and touched it to the man's chest when he turned. "Purge," he said, crisply, loud enough for Shirou to hear.

The man stared. "What are you—?" The question died, and the man's body jerked, as light bloomed beneath his uniform.

Sora moved the Keyblade, dragging a light tail. Small, dark specks cluttered the light.

The man clawed at the light, shadows spilling across his hands and face. "Wh-what are you doing to me? Stop! Stop this at once!"

Sora didn't answer, focusing on the glowing light trailing from the man's chest. _Not as much as I thought. Just a lot of darkness._ Sora whipped the Keyblade to the side. The light and darkness disappeared, illuminating the streets in one brilliant flash of light.

The man fell to his knees, patting his chest, gaping. "What did you do? Why was there so much light?"

Sora released the Kingdom Key. "See? That didn't take long." He shrugged, folding his arms behind his head. "Okay, you can go back to your kitchen now."

"But—what about—?"

Shirou blinked. "I-I'm not interested in learning anymore. Sorry."

The man flashed an astonished look between the two. "What _are_ you?"

Sora shrugged. "People. Although, ah, this might not have been the smartest way to do a demonstration. But anyways." He moved, gesturing. "We'll be leaving soon, by the way! So don't worry about it."

Shirou hurried after him.

The two walked in silence for a while.

"That," Sora began, breaking the tension, "was Purge."

Shirou nodded, still wide-eyed.

"It's a combination of Light and Heart magic. Normally, it doesn't do damage. It focuses on corruption. Curses. You know, stuff like that. It's meant to extract them from people's hearts, but it tends to sting a little. The more of either, the more painful."

"So," Shirou began hesitantly, "does it work on _any_ corruption?" He looked away, cupping his chin.

Sora shook his head. "Only things that have been corrupted by outside sources. Like if the Heartless are corrupting someone's heart, I can fix that. I'm guessing that's what happened to him. But internal corruption?" He shook his head, sighing.

"How does it work?"

"It's still a little too advanced for you. But, basically, I use my heart magic to connect light magic to someone's heart. The heart magic pinpoints the foreign corruption. The light magic makes it possible to extract it. It took a long time to figure out."

"You made it?"

"Sort of. I figured it out on my own. I'm guessing that other people with heart magic have used it before, though." _Not that I know of a lot of people like that._

Shirou's eyes had gone wide. Something flickered behind his eyes.

"No, you can't learn it yet. Wait a few years, okay? Let's worry about Keyblade transformations first."

Shirou looked away, something pensive still in his gaze. After a moment he asked, "Sora? Why was using Purge on that man a bad idea?"

"Because there's always going to be _some_ outside corruption in the presence of Heartless. Besides, it can cause a pretty big disturbance. So I try and use it sparingly, for only the really big problems." _Like a fire that refuses to be purged. Or a boy who'd die without it._

"So why'd you use it?"

"Impulse, mostly. I thought it would be a good learning opportunity." _And didn't want any_ bigger _Heartless dropping by the world while I'm gone._

Shirou nodded.

The two continued to Linguini's in silence.

Sora sighed upon reaching the apartment. "Well, I guess it's time to say goodbye. And then," he steeled himself, "we'll head to Radiant Garden."

* * *

 _And off to Radiant Garden we go! Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _I liked it how you had Sora wonder how long Kairi had debated on adding the 'love you' part to the letter._ – Thanks! There's been quite a bit of uncertainty about how to handle their relationship between the two of them, and I wanted to show that. _Also the scene with Linguini trying to comfort Shirou after asking about his parents was well done, must admit if i didn't read this fic I would have never remembered that guys name._ – Thank you! Honestly, if I hadn't written about him, I might have not remembered his name, either…

 **A.K.J.19:** _Was that part in the letter about Tron and Cid hinting at a future arc?_ – It was hinting towards a future something. _Thanks for confirming what Shirou's Element and Origin were, and from the review responses it seemed I was not the only one asking about that, sorry._ – It's fine! I really haven't gotten this question that often, and I haven't had the opportunity to mention it in-story yet (since they haven't been back to Gaia). The fact that it ended up being mentioned a few times in reviews was just a coincidence, I think.

 **DPSS:** _Huh, I'm surprised Shirou actually feels anything in regard to his birth parents. Or was he just subconsciously reading Linguini's heart?_ – Nope, that was all Shirou. It's not something he would _normally_ think about; it just never really struck home to him that _his parents_ —figures that would've taken the place of Sora, had they survived—were in that fire, as to him they'd basically been equal to everyone else before. I don't imagine this is something that will cross his mind very often, and I don't think even he entirely recognizes what he's feeling, but the realization was there, all the same.

 **reality deviant:** _Nice so far, but seems fillerish... or just the caln of no events._ – I wondered if it would seem that way. It's meant to be the latter, though, as there are a few things I've been using these chapters to set up for. (Even though it's going to take a little while for them to pay off…)

 **ultima-owner:** _The talk afterwards gave insight to Shirou. Even if he has no memories of his parents, the tear shows he still misses them._ – A part of him does, even if he doesn't consciously realize it.

 **Server lock:** _Oh, his element, and origin are heart now, if you put him near Archer it won't be like that for long with the memories from a never ending existence._ – Mm, not exactly. His Origin and Element aren't quite that easily changed anymore.

 **shadowace2400:** _Ahh good old PTSD. something most if not all protagonist should likely have, and yet none seem to get. I'd honestly be surprised if Sora didn't have it after all the shit he's gone through._ – Kind of why Sora has it here. (Although, to be fair, it actually took quite a bit to get him to that point.)

 **UKNOWNGPX:** _Since you have Shirou already having the basic for Keyblade transformation down, when you have him use his glider can it be a motorcycle._ – On the one hand, this sounds like an amazing idea and I'm tempted to use it. On the other, though, there's not really much of a point for Sora to teach Shirou how to use a Keyblade Glider, since travel using a Gummi ship and, because of that, Sora himself has never actually learned how to use a Keyblade Glider.

 **Parks98:** _Well I guess I was right about that little chef._ – Yep.

 _If you have anything you'd like to say, I'd love it if you dropped a review!_


	32. Past and Present

_Here's chapter thirty-two. Thank you RedRat8, DPSS, ultima-owner, a guest, Server lock, Joachim Armster, and Dullahan0 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Past and Present**

Shirou stood in wide, gray streets. Buildings rose around him, deep red, brown, and pale gray. Flowerboxes and flowerbeds lined the streets, giving them splashes of color. A few people milled about, chatting. A man carried some boxes towards one of the buildings. A shopkeeper braced her chin on her hand, eyes drooping. Strange white disks trailed across the streets, glowing faintly.

Sora stood next to him. His body had grown stiff; a bead of sweet trailed down his cheek. His blue eyes flickered about the street. The two of them had arrived the previous day, but Sora had insisted on staying in the Gummi ship to rest.

Shirou asked, "This is Radiant Garden?"

"Yeah."

"And this is where your friend is?"

"Several, actually." He laughed, the sound jumping, and rubbed his head. "You'll probably meet most of them, if she had anything to say about it."

They remained there in silence a few moments.

Shirou asked, "Are we going?"  
"Yeah." Sora didn't move at first. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and a strained smile spread across his face. "Come on. You'll love it here." He moved quickly, forcing Shirou to keep up.

Sora's voice rambled back to him. "This is a really old world, I think. All the Princess of Hearts' worlds are. It had a lot of trouble with Heartless in the past—then again, a lot of worlds did. Those circles were created by the Restoration Committee to help deal with them."

"Do you know a lot about this world?"  
"Yeah. It's probably one of the worlds I know best." His voice trailed off. He shoved shaking hands into his pockets.

Shirou's gaze shifted from his hands to the back of Sora's head. He frowned and tapped into his magic.

Uncertainty, excitement, anxiety, fear, joy—the emotions flowed in a wild tumult from Sora's heart, spiraling around each other and exchanging so quickly Shirou could hardly keep track of where one ended and another began.

He jerked back to his own heart, blinking.

Sora continued to move ahead, seemingly oblivious to Shirou's prying. He paused suddenly, head cocked.

Shirou hesitated.

One of the white circles activated, sending a disk into the air. A small Shadow leapt aside.

Darkness rose in gouts around them. The townsfolk hurried into nearby buildings.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key. "Kairi _did_ say Heartless still appeared sometimes." His voice wavered, then steadied. "Let's go!"

Shirou summoned Vir. He eyed a Large Body warily.

The Heartless charged.

He swept aside, swinging Vir. The weapon struck the Heartless's back. He risked transforming the Keyblade, an unsteady bow materializing in his hands. He took a steadying breath. He focused, drawing on energy and pulling back a slim blue arrow. He shot. The attack hit home.

The weapon shivered in his hands.

He shot again, quickly. The attack glanced the Large Body's side. He fired two more arrows, though both missed, before the weapon transformed again.

"Look out!" Sora shouted.

Shirou whipped around.

A dragon-like Heartless swooped towards him.

Shirou dropped; claws grazed his arm. He winced, then rolled.

A fireball shot into the air, hitting the Heartless's wing. It spiraled towards the ground, then righted itself, screeching, and circled back around, the heart symbol on its chest flashing.

Shirou re-transformed his Keyblade. Staring at the heart symbol, he tentatively activated his magic and reached for the corrupted heart.

 _Anger fear sadness hunger darkness._

Shirou reeled. He nearly lost the Keyblade transformation. He stumbled. His limbs shook. His vision shifted and waver.

Someone called his name from a distance.

He took a steadying breath. He lifted shaking arms and released an energy arrow. The attack struck in the center of the Heartless's heart symbol. It screeched, tumbling, and pain and fear lanced through Shirou's consciousness. It fell in the same arc the Heartless had taken.

The Heartless crashed into a building and exploded into darkness.

Shirou gasped, the magic abruptly released, and for a moment he had the dizzying sensation of emotions from multiple sources streaming through his heart at once. He fell to his knees.

Something dissipated above him. Sora asked, "You okay?"

He nodded.

"What happened?"

"I—I tried to connect to the Heartless's heart."

Sora released a heavy breath. "You know, I'm pretty sure I told you that was a bad idea at one point."

"Y-yeah. But you use it to track Heartless."

"By brushing their hearts, not directly linking to them." He helped Shirou stand. "Well, I guess you have to learn sometime." He paused, his gaze sliding past Shirou, and tensed, Kingdom Key held to the side.

More Heartless materialized, stalking towards them.

Shirou scrambled to his feet, gripping Vir with both hands.

Before either could act, gray, deformed shapes materialized, cutting through the Heartless.

Shirou blinked, trying to dredge up memories of what the creatures were, and vaguely recalled seeing something similar in Twilight Town, several years ago. "Are those Nobodies?"

"Yep." Sora's smile seemed genuine for the first time that day.

A quiet gasp sounded beside Shirou. Xion had materialized, her eyes locked on something above their heads.

A cloaked figure watched them, black hood obscuring his features. His head twitched towards them, and he turned, darkness coalescing in front of him.

"Wait a minute!" Sora shouted. "You're not getting away that easily!"

The figure paused and glanced towards him. He glanced towards the portal, then dismissed it, jumping down to join them. "Sorry. Forgot that being mysterious and distant is _your_ thing now."

"Hey!"

Shirou narrowed his eyes. The voice sounded eerily similar to Sora's.

Xion stood stock-still beside him, a variety of emotions running across her face. _She knows him,_ he realized. _They both do._

The figure pulled down his hood. Spikey blond hair topped a face that could have belonged to Sora's twin. Blue eyes flicked to Shirou, then back to Sora, and his face relaxed into a smile. "So I heard you've been avoiding Kairi."

"You're one to talk. You've been avoiding _everyone_. Aqua's convinced you died, by the way."

"Is she? You actually talked to her and found that out?"

"I—um, maybe?"

The man surprised Shirou by laughing. "Kairi's probably told her by now that I'm still around, but I'll get back to her." His attention turned to Shirou. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is my apprentice. Shirou." Sora rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking awkward.

"Shirou," Xion interrupted, quietly, and he shot a hesitant glance her way, "this is Roxas, Sora's Nobody."

"Roxas?" Shirou blurted, focusing more intently on the man.

He blinked. "Yeah."

Sora's gaze bored into Shirou. "How did you—? Never mind. What are you doing here?"

"We stopped by a few days ago." He nodded towards the Nobodies, who still waited nearby, watching. "And you're here to see Kairi, right?"

"Yeah." Sora shifted. He nudged Shirou. "Speaking of that, I guess we'd better head that way." He moved, passing Shirou.

Shirou hurried after them.

Roxas said something he couldn't make out, and then a moment later appeared beside Sora.

Sora said, "So fill me in. What've you been up to?"

Shirou fell back a bit. He tapped into his magic and let it snake towards Roxas. A strange sensation passed through him; emotions were present, but they seemed odd, structured inside an empty shell.

Roxas glanced towards him.

He released the magic.

Xion still moved beside him, arms folded behind her back.

Shirou glanced at Sora and Roxas, who both seemed involved in their own conversation, then turned towards Xion. "How do you know him?" he whispered.

She turned surprised eyes his way. She sighed, shoulders sinking. "It was a long time ago, now. Back when Lea was still 'Axel,' and all of us were part of something called Organization XIII. We were friends."

She didn't say any more, and Shirou didn't pry. He swept his hand silently through hers.

She giggled. "It _is_ nice to see him again."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

"What? Shirou, he won't believe you any more than Sora did."

Shirou frowned, and opened his mouth, but Roxas's words cut him off. "So what's kept you away so long?"

Shirou's mouth snapped shut. He hadn't realized he'd drifted so close to them.

Sora said, "Things." He shrugged, looking away. "I mean, I've been pretty busy, right? So I just haven't had time." Something in his voice caught.

"Sora."

He waved him off. "It's fine, it's fine! You guys worry too much."

Roxas eyed him, then exhaled slowly. "But you're nervous."

Sora didn't answer for a long time, his head tilted skyward. "Yeah."

No one spoke after that, making their way along stone pathways to a towering castle. Shirou craned his neck back. They passed more small gardens and a fountain.

Sora trailed his hand through some plants and whistled. "They really did well on the renovations, huh?"

A tall, open gateway stood before them. Roxas passed through.

Sora hesitated at the entrance.

Roxas glanced back and quirked an eyebrow.

Shirou moved to his mentor's side.

Sora stared ahead, lips pressed flat, face pale, and a part of Shirou worried he was having another episode. He shook his arm.

Sora jerked. He flashed Shirou an uncertain grin, then moved again. He passed Roxas, leading the way up the stairs. His head remained resolutely turned forward. Voices drifted down towards them, words at first indistinguishable.

Sora's steps faltered. "I know those voices. They're here?" He flashed Roxas a quick look.

"Why don't you go and find out for yourself?"

Sora moved a little quicker, cresting the rise and skidding to a halt. "Donald? Goofy?"

The voices quieted. Twin cries of "Sora!" echoed back to Shirou, and suddenly his mentor nearly toppled back down the steps. Laughter bubbled from him, and for a moment Shirou thought he saw something of the boy Sora used to be.

He finally reached the top. What appeared to be an anthropomorphic dog and duck released his master.

The duck scowled. "Where have you _been_?"

"Yeah," the dog added, his expression more concerned than angry, "everybody was worried about you."

"We haven't heard anything from you in years!"

Sora rubbed his neck. "Ah, sorry. I've been busy. With training an apprentice, and all." He shot Shirou a look.

Suddenly all eyes flashed to him. Shirou grew rigid, glancing back for Xion, but her ghostly figure seemed to have disappeared.

"Gawrsh," the dog said, "we finally get to meet him."

"You're Shirou, right?" the duck asked.

Shirou nodded.

The duck cleared his throat. "I'm Donald."

"And I'm Goofy!" He shook Shirou's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shirou."

Shirou blinked, looking between the two. "You're Sora's friends. You traveled with him when he was younger." He glanced to his mentor for confirmation.

Sora nodded, then asked, "But what are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be busy with Disney Castle."

"They're here," interrupted a female voice, "because I let them know you were coming."

Sora's attention flashed to the newcomer, eyes locked, legs stiffening.

A woman swept towards them, long red hair framing her face, a flowing pale-purple top draped over her frame. Something resembling a partial skirt fluttered against dark capris. A teardrop pendent pressed against her neck. She smiled, eyes flickering with something unreadable.

Shirou started to tap into his magic, but paused when the woman turned her attention his way. "So _you're_ Shirou. It's nice to finally meet you."

Shirou nodded quickly.

"Kairi," Sora said, the word quiet, filled with emotions Shirou couldn't identify.

"You kept your promise."

"Y-yeah."

Kairi moved to him. A pause stretched between, then Kairi hesitantly took Sora's hands in her own. "So. You said we have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah." Sora's eyes locked on Kairi's hands, holding his own, and his eyelids drooped, eyebrows lowering.

The silence lengthened. Donald nudged Goofy. "Come on. We should probably find Leon and the others."

"Oh," Goofy said. "But didn't they say they weren't going to be back for a while?"

Donald coughed and pointed towards Sora and Kairi.

"Oh. Gotcha. We'll be back later, Sora, Kairi!" He and Donald hurried away.

Roxas said, "I'll take Shirou to his room. If that's alright with you?" He glanced at him.

Shirou hesitated, looking at the pair.

Kairi turned to him, beaming, "Yes, that sounds good. Thank you, Roxas."

He ushered Shirou away.

Shirou squirmed, trying to look back towards his master.

"Easy," Roxas said. "Give them some space."

"What's going on? Usually Sora isn't so nervous around people, especially if they're friends."

"So he hasn't told you, huh?" Roxas sighed. "Come on. I'll give you something of a run-down while we walk."

They entered the castle. Long hallways stretched before them, patterned with pale orange-and-gray stone. Pictures hung from the walls, featuring individuals and scenes that Shirou didn't recognize. Lights kept the entire pathway illuminated.

"Sora and Kairi," Roxas said, jolting Shirou, "are childhood friends and, for a little while, were in a relationship." He paused, glancing towards him with a raised eyebrow.

Shirou hurried after him. "What happened?"

"According to both of them, they had too many responsibilities to be in a relationship. I don't think anyone really believes that, but they refuse to change their story, so I don't know what actually happened."

Shirou cupped his chin. "So what about you? How do you—?" He hesitated.

"Exist?" Roxas gave a small smile. "That happened during the Second Keyblade War. He told you that much, right?"

"Aqua did."

"I see." Roxas's expression hardened. "Sora chose not to refuse with me at the end of the war, so I left to figure out what _I_ wanted to do with life." A Nobody appeared.

Shirou jumped, glancing at the wispy figure.

"I ended up more-or-less taking charge of some of the lesser Nobodies. One good thing about Organization XIII was that it gave them purpose. I've been trying to give them something a little less destructive to work towards." He sighed. "It's a work in progress."

They turned a corner. Roxas stopped in front of a door and jiggled the knob. The door creaked open. "This is where you'll be staying while you're here."

The room consisted of a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. A window filtered sunlight across a woven rug. A vase with some flowers sat in the sill.

Roxas stepped back. "I'll give you some time to get used to it."

"Wait."

Roxas raised an eyebrow.

Shirou hesitated. "X-Xion. You knew a girl named Xion."

"Yes," Roxas said warily.

Shirou glanced beside him. Xion's wavering figure had appeared, fixing him with wide blue eyes. He steeled himself and met Roxas's gaze. "What happened to her? Why is she a—a 'ghost'?"

Roxas eyed him. He glanced around, absently rolling a keychain through his fingers. Shirou hadn't even noticed he'd pulled it out.

"Xion," Roxas said finally, "was a special individual. She wasn't a Nobody, or Heartless, or human. She was a puppet, made of Sora's memories."

Shirou nodded. The words _Puppet Master_ hissed through his mind; _memories_ echoed after it, feeling somehow more significant, more important, but he pushed the thought aside.

"She wasn't supposed to exist. She died to allow Sora to wake up from a long slumber, after his memories were damaged." His eyes had landed on a point in the corner of the room, his voice detached, distant. "But Sora was determined to save everyone, in some way. He didn't truly bring her back, during our fight against Xehanort, but he did allow her consciousness to separate from his. We thought that meant she'd moved." Roxas fixed him with a look.

"She's here. I mean, she's attached to me." He clenched his fists. "She misses you, I think."

Roxas didn't speak for a long time.

Xion held her breath, shaking beside Shirou.

"Where is she?"

Shirou jerked.

"Beside you? Behind?" Roxas narrowed his eyes and scanned the area.

"Um." Shirou glanced to his right.

Roxas followed his gaze. His eyes flicked around. His shoulders drooped slightly. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then laughed. "You know, I thought of all sorts of things I'd say, if I ever got the chance. Now I can only think of one." He smiled a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Xion choked. "Why are you sorry? I—you guys couldn't save me." She shook her head, then turned to Shirou. "Can you tell him I'm glad he's happy? If he's happy? Please?"  
"Xion wants to know if you're happy."

Roxas blinked. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." He released a breath. "Thanks." His gaze sharpened again. "But one question before I go. How is Xion attached to you? When did that happen?"

Shirou considered the question and shrugged. "I've known her almost as long as I've been apprenticed. She appeared in my Awakening."

Roxas's eyes snapped wide. He recollected himself. "I see." He turned. "Take care of yourself."

Shirou frowned at his retreating back.

Xion hovered beside him. "You probably shouldn't have done that."

"You wanted to talk to him."

"It could've made things worse, you know."

Shirou faced her. "What did he mean, you weren't supposed to exist?"

Xion's gaze shifted away. "That's—I was created by the Organization." Her shoulders fell. "To steal Roxas's powers, really. They needed a Keyblader."

" _You_ were a Keyblader? Can memories wield the Keyblade?"

Xion giggled. "I'm not a 'normal' memory. But," she paused. "I don't know. If true ones can, I mean. I think a Keyblader is taken out of any memories except those belonging to their home world, so it wouldn't happen very often. It happened with Xehanort, I guess, but that situation was complicated." She shook her head.

Shirou wanted to question further, but something made him hesitant. He turned away slowly. "I'm going to practice magic."

Xion nodded.

Shirou sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes drifted closed, and his magic hummed under his mental touch.

 **-Sora** sat across from Kairi. His leg bounced, his pulse hammering similarly. One hand kept a steady hold of the good luck charm in his pocket.

"So," Kairi said, "you've been having flashbacks."

"Yeah."

Kairi started to reach across the table for his hand, hesitated, then drew her hands back. "You need to tell him everything."

"I know. I just don't know how."

"Start at the beginning. Go from there."

"He's just a kid. He's already been through a lot."

"We were still kids when we went on _our_ journey."

"Not so young." Sora breathed a shaky sigh and looked away. His eyes kept straying towards Kairi's, and something clogged his throat.

Kairi said, "I never told anyone, you know. Not even Riku knows all of what really happened. But," she paused until Sora met her sad, determined eyes, "I _will_ tell Shirou. If it puts him in danger, then—"

"I know. That's why I didn't really want an apprentice in the first place."

Kairi hummed. She laced her fingers. "If you wanted, I could break the ice for you."

Hope and gratitude flooded him, then shame, and really, all he wanted to do was hug Kairi and pretend that none of this had ever happened.

The door creaked open. "Sora."

"Hey, Roxas." He leaned away, his confused feelings reorganizing themselves. "Shirou in his room?"

"Have you ever heard your apprentice mention 'Xion' before?"

 **-Shirou** quickly discovered few beings walked the castle. Or, at the very least, few passed his room. The books held little interest for him; the room was too small to practice blade work well. He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling a few moments, then stood. He crept to the door and peered out. _No one said I had to stay in my room,_ he reminded himself. He still moved as silently as possible down the hallway.

The passages twisted and turned. Shirou walked them aimlessly, passing doorways and other passages. Occasionally a person would walk by and stare. More rarely a Nobody would slide past.

Shirou stopped when he entered a circular room. Large bookcases ran around the edge. A chair and table sat in the middle. Writing and drawings were scrawled across one wall. Shirou hesitated, and almost turned and left until he caught voices drifted from the door on the far end. He crept towards it. The door creaked slightly when pushed. He winced, then glanced through the crack.

A blond-haired, grizzled man stood in front of a large keyboard. He scratched his chin. "I just don't get it," he drawled. "We've tried looking through everything. Files, hard drive. Heck, we even checked what remained of the MCP."

A male voice with an odd, tin-like quality answered. "Maybe the glitches are due to Heartless. They've interfered before."

"Not this badly." The man began typing. "Seems like the King mentioned something like this before."

 _King?_ Shirou frowned and cautiously edged his way into the room.

Blue predominated, the walls and floor coated in various shades. Large computer screens took up some of the space. A strange device hung on one wall.

"Something about 'bugs' or whatnot," the man continued. "They look like how he described them."

"But how would bugs get into the system?"

"Beats me. Do you think it'd help to dive in and check things out?"

"No. I'm sure I can handle it."

"If you say so. But two heads are better than one."

"Don't worry. You've helped a lot just by looking into things from out there."

Shirou's eyebrows furrowed. _Where is the second voice coming from?_ He edged further into the room. _The computer?_

The device on the other side of the room jerked.

"Hey!"

Shirou jumped, whipping towards the man.

The device lowered.

The man moved towards him. "What are you doing in here, kid?"

Shirou glanced towards the device. "That's—look out!"

The man whipped towards it. His eyes snapped wide, and he leapt back.

Shirou didn't move as quickly. The beam caught him mid-jump, freezing him in place. A grid spread across his body. A strange, tingling, tearing sensation started at his feet, then gradually moved up his legs, his torso. His vision faded to white.

* * *

… _Surprise? Lots of things happening in these next few chapters, so you should probably expect longer chapters for a little bit. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _It is interesting to see how Shirou grows up in a unique way that can only be provided by Kingdom Hearts style._ – Thanks! It certainly gives him a colorful experience.

 **DPSS:** _These two just can't spit out their problems. Don't they realise that sharing your burdens makes them lighter?_ – Haha, it certainly isn't easy for them. Sora's not going to get much of a choice pretty soon, though.

 **ultima-owner:** _Maybe the short chef will be less angry now that the darkness has been dealt with._ – Haha, maybe a little bit.

 **Guest:** _Kirei has only just got his darkness enhancements and has no idea how to use them let alone mastery of them and even if he did you've made him about 30 times more powerful then he should be and you've made KEyblade MASTER sora about 100 times to weak and even as weak as you have made sora he should o easily been able to handle Kirei I could see sora maybe and that's a BIG maybe having trouble with Gilgamesh but not kirei._ – So I _do_ want to say thank you for the compliments I didn't include in this. They really are appreciated, but since this is the first time I've gotten this question when using this format, I thought I'd take the opportunity to post a more easily-accessible answer to it…largely to direct people here if the question comes up again.

So, explanation time: When writing the fight between Sora and Kirei, one of the big factors was thinking along the lines of 'First Boss Battle.' Basically, it's that fight at the beginning of every game that sort of acts as a 'rite of passage' to the game proper. This was done also taking into account a few other factors: 1. Sora has fought powerful human opponents before (Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, etc.) and had difficulty. He _was_ younger at the time, but I used that as something of a basis for an idea on Keyblader power: regardless of magic, they are still, technically, human, and therefore might very well struggle against powerful human opponents. 2. Kirei, in his prime, is considered one of the most powerful human characters in the Nasuverse. While he might not have been used to his cursed heart, he'd still technically have Reinforcement, as well as his training as an Executer, which could surprise Sora if he wasn't prepared. Those aside, I also took cues from Kirei and Kiritsugu's fight in Fate/Zero, though in hindsight that was probably something of a mistake. What I _should_ have thought of—and didn't at the time—was that the orphans were still where they were fighting, and so Sora might've held back to protect them.

Obviously everyone is free to disagree with my choices here. I've been kind of slowly tweaking power levels in more recent chapters and will probably have them more balanced by the time the actual Grail War comes around. However, these _are_ the reasons for why the fight played out as it did. (Aaand long explanation, end. Sorry for the text dump.)

 **Server lock:** _That's your opinion bro Element and origin can be changed just like that, you can say whatever we want on the subject because it really doesn't have defined rules._ – I suppose that's fair. Regardless, as far as this story goes, it isn't so easy to change Origin/Element.

 **Joachim Armster:** _Sorry for the late review; however I have to say this chapter is great._ – Don't worry about it! I'm flattered when people decide to review at _any_ time, especially since it's not something anyone is obligated to do. So thanks! _Ch. 30 The second half was an amazing calm before the storm forshadowing. That being said the cooking scene was a bit clunky even if I have no idea how to improve it besides ripping the style straight from the vn._ – I'm glad that the second half of the chapter seemed to go over well with people! I worried it would feel too filler-ish, so it's nice to know that it mostly worked out the way I wanted it to. As for the cooking scene, I've been…sketchy about writing them, in general, since I know very little about cooking. Definitely going to have to put some more research into it for later chapters. _ch. 31 While the last one was great this one felt more standard. I also feel the talk in the middle could have used a little lengthening; however, the combat was pretty well done and I think the cooking scene in this one was honestly better than the one last chapter._ – Yeah, that's fair. I'm glad the cooking scene seemed better for this chapter! (And we'll see if I can improve on it more when they show up later.)

 **Dullahan0:** _You're writing has improved since the start of the series and I almost feel like a kid again playing Kingdom Hearts when reading some parts._ – Thanks! I'm glad I could invoke something of the feeling the games gave off _. I find it amusing that whenever I search up 'adult sora' to get an idea of what he would look like, he usually looks a bit like Cloud._ – Haha, it's the spikey hair. Makes it hard not to think of Cloud when coming up with a design.

 _Any thoughts on the current developments? Any predications? I always appreciate reviews, so feel free to drop one!_


	33. False Heart

_Here's chapter thirty – three. Thank you RedRat8, DPSS, ultima-owner, Parks98, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: False Heart**

Shirou's hearing returned first; a faint buzzed hummed through his ears, followed occasionally by odd, electronic noises. Blurry blue circuit board walls slowly swam into focus. He blinked and sat up slowly. He put a hand to his head, then froze. He cautiously ran the hand along a long, metal ring. He gave the ring an experimental tug. Pain flashed through his head. He frowned, searching for a mirror.

He'd materialized in a small room. Most of the room was filled with the same circuit-patterned blue walls, but what appeared to be glass walls blanketed two sides. Shirou walked towards one and touched his reflection curiously.

His skin had turned a pale blue-gray. The rest of him was painted with a similar pallet. A metal ring with glowing lines stretched around his head, his now-gray hair poking over and under it. His t-shirt had been replaced by a chest guard with similar glowing blue lines and some sort of plain gray suit underneath. A high, black collar with blue lines guarded his neck; armor-like plates covered his legs and arms, edged with the blue streaks and some circuit patterns.

Something flashed outside the window.

Shirou jerked backwards.

The ship flew into the sky. A view of similar blue-and-gray buildings patterned the world outside. Blocks in black-and-red occupied random spaces. Red cracks streak from the point of impact.

A 'whoosh' sounded behind him, followed by a voice saying, "Good. I'm glad you ended up here, instead of near the bugs."

Shioru whipped around and summoned Vir.

The man—dressed similarly to Shirou's new attire, skin a similar color—lifted his hands. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I mean you no harm."

Shirou lowered Vir hesitantly. "Where am I?"

"In a computer program. You may be more familiar with the term 'Space Paranoids.'"

Shirou shook his head slowly. "What brought me here."

"I'm not sure. But I know we need to get you out of here. Those bugs are dangerous."

"Bugs?"

"The black-and-red blocks." The man pointed.

"What do they do?"

"They corrupt data. I'm not sure what they would do if a user came into contact with them."

"User?"

"People from the outside world."

Shirou slowly lowered his guard and released Vir. He examined his hands, Sora's words about 'worlds that would change your appearance' ringing in his head. He glanced to the man.

He smiled. "I'm Tron."

"Shirou."

Tron nodded. He gestured to follow.

Shirou hesitantly obeyed. He glanced back towards the bugs, then asked hesitantly, "Where did the bugs come from?"

"We don't know. King Mickey has records of this happening before, but with a data version of a journal. He said it might have something to do with the memories stored within the journal, but we aren't sure."

"Memories?" The word echoed through Shirou's mind, and he slowed.

"Yes. Of Sora's journeys when he first started."

Shirou stopped.

"Shirou?" Tron paused and glanced at him. "We are almost at the terminal. We can get you out, and Cid can try to find whatever got you in here in the first place."

"But it might drag him in, too." Shirou's eyes flicked to meet Tron's. "I want to help."

"I don't think—"

"I know Sora."

Tron hesitated. "Oh." He glanced aside. "How?"

"I'm his apprentice."

Tron cupped his chin and seemed to consider for a moment. "Be that as it may, you still should not be fighting the bugs. We need to approach this carefully."

"We can approach it carefully while I'm here."

Tron seemed flustered. "I can't in good conscience put you into danger."

"You're not." Shirou tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm putting myself into danger."

Tron kept a level gaze on him. He sighed. "You _do_ have a Keyblade. Alright. But don't touch the bugs unless I say so."

Shirou nodded.

Tron sighed, but guided him in a different direction.

They left the building, stepping onto wide streets. A quiet him resonated with their footsteps. Tron led the way to a group of blocks congregated near a building. Tron extended an arm to stall him, then pulled a disk from his back. "Cid has been trying to install various anti-virus programs. This is the newest. We're hoping it'll have some affect when put onto the blocks."

Shirou nodded.

Darkness and pixels swirled in front of the blocks. Heartless materialized, black-and-yellow, with similar lines covering their torso, waving large, gun-like hands.

Tron added, "The Heartless haven't been helping. They seem to appear anywhere the bugs do." He got into a fighting stance.

Shirou summoned Vir.

The Heartless lurched towards him, swinging their arms.

Shirou swung Vir. The Keyblade collided with one of the Heartless, sending it off balance. He dragged the weapon upwards and slid into an overhead strike. The Heartless staggered aside, and Shirou automatically parried behind him.

Something struck the blade.

Shirou whipped around, ducking and slashing at the creature's legs.

A disk whizzed overhead and hit the Heartless's head. The disk returned to Tron's hand, and he nodded to Shirou. "We can work together."

Shirou blinked and nodded. He turned back to the one he'd sent backwards before, stabbing. Tron took the disk and crashed it into the Heartless's head. The creature dissipated into darkness, a heart drifting upwards.

Shirou swung towards the other Heartless, forcing it back with a wide sweep of Vir. Tron tossed the disk again, and the projectile forced the creature backwards.

Shirou narrowed his eyes. He transformed Vir into the bow, and the weapon shook, but he tentatively activated his magic.

 _Darkness hunger angry sad afraid pain pain pain._

Shirou winced and reeled. He steeled himself and fired.

The arrow struck true. The Heartless dissipated.

Vir returned to normal and disappeared. Shirou fell to his knees, the cloying darkness still clinging to his heart. He shook his throbbing head, trying to clear it.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I just need more practice."

If Tron didn't believe him, he didn't show it. Instead he turned back to the bugs. He placed the disk on a bug. It glowed briefly with white light. Faint white veins began tracing from the impact point, then shattered. The disk's glow faded.

Tron removed the disk. "I was afraid this would happen."

"It didn't work?"

"It might still, but we'll need to take it to the core. That way we can spread the anti-virus throughout the system, and hopefully prevent further corruption."

Shirou nodded.

The two hurried down the pathways. More blocks stood out on buildings, their red lines cutting through the blue-and-gray. Heartless would occasionally appear and swarm around them before disappearing again. Shirou's fingers itched to summon Vir. He stuck closer to Tron.

They approached a large tower. "That's the I/O Tower," Tron informed him. "We'll use it to get to a Solar Sailer, and take one to the Core."

Shirou nodded, gaze trailing up the large building.

They entered and moved down the pathway. More bugs clustered around the hallway and around the opening at the far end.

Tron hesitated. "This wasn't so bad before."

Heartless materialized around the blocks. Some Shirou recognized—Shadows and Knights—while others were unfamiliar, like those strange, mechanical Heartless from before. He summoned Vir.

Tron removed the disk from his back and flung it at a Heartless.

Shirou moved, Keyblade held in both hands, his mind quietly running through his training. He slid, cutting towards a Shadow and flinging it into another Heartless. His momentum allowed him to follow it, and he cut upwards, forcing the Knight back and sending the Shadow flying. He focused on the Knight and slashed in a three-strike combo. The Heartless dissipated on the final swing.

Something scratched his arm. He swung, parrying, then angled the blade, Vir's tip jabbing for the Heartless's center. He moved into a kick aimed at the Heartless's head.

More Heartless swarmed the path they'd come from, covering the floor, hanging from the walls.

Shirou froze, eyeing the wall.

Tron's disk flew over his head and collided with a Heartless, snapping Shirou to attention.

Tron called, "We'll focus on getting past them to the Solar Sailer!"

Shirou nodded and whipped around. He took a deep breath and transformed Vir. The bow materialized. He fired an energy arrow, quickly, and another. The two hit a Heartless, sending it spiraling into another.

The weapon shook in his hands. _Focus._ He shot another arrow.

The weapon shook harder. His fingers wrapped tightly around it. He fired another arrow, then another.

His arm ached. He drew and fired a sixth.

"Shirou!"

Something collided with his back. He stumbled, Vir returning to normal. He whipped around, Keyblade swinging towards the Heartless.

Tron's disk flashed beside him and hit the Heartless's side, forcing it back.

Tron caught his returning disk. "The way's clear."

Shirou nodded, and the two hurried past the Heartless into a large bay area.

Something that vaguely resembled a ship rested on two glowing wires. Tron hurried to a panel and pressed some buttons.

Shirou turned to face the door. He risked transforming Vir again, but was only able to fire two shots before the shaking weapon returned to its base form.

"Got it," Tron said. "Get onto the Sailer!"

Shirou obeyed. The two hurtled onto the structure. The Solar Sailer jerked, then moved, flying smoothly along the glowing pathway. The Heartless stared after them, fading quickly into the distance.

Shirou didn't release Vir, but he allowed his shoulders to relax a bit.

Tron stood nearby. "That's strange. Why would so many bugs suddenly appear on the way to the Core?"

Shirou shrugged.

Tron looked away, towards the glowing track receding into the distance. "I hope there aren't so many bugs at our destination, too."

Shirou nodded. He finally released Vir and settled down to wait.

 **-Sora** blinked. He processed what Roxas said, blinked again. "Yes," he began carefully. "Why?"

"He claims she's a ghost. That she's 'attached' to him." He strode further into his room and stopped at the table. He folded his arms.

Sora didn't meet his gaze.

"Sora."

"He probably just heard me mention her or something."

"How often do you talk about your past with him? Let alone something related to mine."

"I'm not sure how he heard her name, alright? But it can't be her. You know that."

"As a puppet who could only exist when filled with memories? Yes. But none of us really knew what happened when we released _her heart_ from yours." His eyes slid away. "A heart she'd formed on her own, with her own memories, unrelated to yours. Namine made sure she had something to ground herself with, remember?"

"Wait," Kairi interjected, "we thought that she would've moved on. She didn't have a body anymore, and even if she did, her heart was still," she paused, eyes widening, and turned towards Sora, "fractured."

"Like Ven," Sora breathed, understanding dawning. "You think because Shirou can use heart magic she attached herself to him?"

Roxas didn't answer right away. He met Sora's gaze for a long moment, blue eyes serious, searching. "I think," he said slowly, "that you might want to examine your apprentice. You're the one with heart magic, not me." He sighed and scratched his head. "And find out what he knows about Xion, too. There might be something he thinks is normal that's not."

Kairi asked, "Are you sure that Xion's really attached to him?"

"No. But if she is, we should find out."

Sora sighed and drummed his fingers on the table. "I can talk to him. Is he in his room?"

"Last I knew."

"I'll—I'll go find him in a moment."

Roxas nodded. He hesitated, glanced at Kairi, then left.

Sora ran his hands over his face, shoulders slumping.

"Sora?"

"I didn't think about it too much," he admitted. "I wasn't sure what the implications were, or why she'd choose his heart, or why she'd wait _this long_ to attach to someone else's heart."

Kairi hummed.

"Guess that's another thing to add to the list." He reached into his pocket and thumbed the charm.

"Maybe. But this could be a good thing, too."

Sora passed her a glance.

She smiled sadly, warmly. "You haven't healed. I'm not sure you've really given yourself the opportunity, and I think it's because you're afraid. Am I wrong?"

Sora stared. Slowly, cautiously, he tapped into his heart magic, and reached towards Kairi's heart.

Concern and love wrapped around his heart like a warm blanket. Happiness—and perhaps a bit of frustration, though faint enough it was hard to tell—pulsed from outside, smaller and less apparent. In return, he let his own emotions seep through.

His happiness to be back with friends again; his concern that he'd do something to get them hurt, or get hurt himself.

His feeling of responsibility as a Keyblade Master; his desire to still marvel at the wonders of the world, and his frustration when he found he often couldn't.

His confusion and frustration on how to explain what he'd gone through and why it affected him so much.

Above all, his fear—of being overwhelmed again, whether by darkness or by others' emotions and hearts, of facing an enemy he couldn't fight, of failing again—and the confidence that wanted, so badly, to trickle back in, but couldn't because some memory would rear its head and he'd be thrown back, into the past, into the body of a teenager who had just had memories and emotions and experiences not his own force-fed through his heart and mind.

He didn't realize Kairi had caught his hand until he released his magic. Her fingers curled around his, shaking like they wanted to tighten but didn't.

They remained like that for a long time.

 **-Bugs** littered the dock where the Solar Sailer rested. Shirou stepped off, his footsteps buzzing, and stared. He held one hand ready to summon Vir.

Tron landed beside him. Worried creases appeared around his eyes. "Let's get to the Core."

Shirou nodded, and the two hurried past the bugs.

The black-and-red blocks filled the pathway, and the two moved in an almost eerie silence. No Heartless or darkness spiraled around them, but Shirou's shoulders remained tense, and Tron kept one hand over his shoulder, touching the disk on his back.

They stepped from the pathway into an open room with a long cylinder of light stretching towards the ceiling, and it seemed they'd stepped into a different world; the bugs had completely disappeared.

Shirou glanced about, then whipped back towards the entrance.

Tron removed the disk from his back and hesitantly moved into the room.

"There you are!" a voice called, making both jump. "I wondered when you'd get here."

Shirou tilted his head. The voice sounded eerily familiar, but he knew his mentor hadn't traveled to this world with him. Or at least, he thought he hadn't.

A figure leapt from somewhere he hadn't seen. Someone that resembled a younger Sora—red jumpsuit, black-and-white short-sleeved jacket, big yellow shoes—walked towards them with a friendly grin.

Tron asked warily, "Sora?"

"Yes." He paused, then added, "And no."

Shirou frowned.

"I'm a data version of Sora. Mickey coded my memory from Jiminy's journal to get rid of the bugs and fight the Heartless."

Shirou processed this, and recalled what Tron had told him. "In the journal."

"Yep!"

"You're a memory."

"Huh?" The data-Sora stopped and seemed to consider that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I kind of am." He suddenly fixed Shirou with a piercing, too-knowing gaze, and his world rocked. A part of him feared reaching to his magic to touch this individual's heart, and suddenly regretted coming, and wanted nothing more than to leave.

Tron asked, "What are you doing here?"

Data-Sora's eyes flicked away, and the strange, ominous feeling passed.

Shirou's shoulders slumped, and he wondered at his reaction, but pushed the feelings aside.

Data-Sora grinned. "Well, after I helped Mickey and Jiminy get rid of the bugs, I kind of figured I wouldn't exist anymore. But I didn't disappear. I ended up wandering through the data scape and eventually found my way here. I think the bugs are my fault." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I wasn't really sure how to get out of here, though. And then I found out about you." He turned his gaze back to Shirou.

"Me?"

"Yep. I thought it was cool real-me had an apprentice. So when you came into the room, I had to bring you here."

Tron asked, "How did you manage that? I didn't notice any hackers."

"Hey, I've had a long time to figure out how to do these things." He grinned widely and folded his hands behind his head.

Finally Shirou managed to work up the courage to activate his magic. It stretched towards Data-Sora's heart.

It resembled his master's but different. Emotions, memories; they flickered around, real. And yet others seemed to be shadows, deep in the heart. The entire heart seemed shrouded, less real, less present. Shirou took a step back, releasing the magic. "What's wrong with your heart?"

"Hmm? Who says there's anything wrong?"

"It's faded."

"Well, I guess mine's kind of a shadow of the real thing." He scratched his cheek, then fixed him with that too-serious, too-knowing gaze again. "But I don't think that makes it any less 'real,' you know? Faded or not, it's still here, and it's still mine." His voice grew softer, and he placed a hand over his chest. "I knew someone once who didn't think the same way. If you're like him, then I think you're going to have a lot of trouble in the future."

Shirou didn't know what to say to that, but his mind flashed to Xion, and he hurriedly shook his head.

Data-Sora didn't seem to notice, instead turning to Tron. "Anyways, I'm guessing you're here because of the bugs, right? Sorry about that. If you can help me find a way out of here, I can help you destroy them."

Tron nodded. "I want to try this Anti-Virus and see if this helps. Perhaps there's a way to get rid of the bugs without sending you away?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. It might just be because I'm foreign data. But hey, if you can find a way to fix that, I'd totally be cool with it. I'd like to be able to stay somewhere for a while."

Shirou eyed him. He seemed so similar to his mentor, but so different. Still knowing, but less weighed-down; still wandering alone, but more interested in finding somewhere to stay. This was his mentor as he was as a teen, but different, a core formed by entirely different experiences.

Shirou's fists balled.

"Shirou? Shirou!"

He jerked back to attention.

Tron and Data-Sora both stared at him. Tron said, "We're going to send you back now. We should hopefully have everything under control, now that we know where the bugs are coming from."

Data-Sora nodded. "It was nice meeting you."

Shirou nodded, still somewhat dazed, while Tron gestured for him to come to a terminal on the side of the room. Tron punched in something, then directed him to stand in front of the machine.

A beam of light flashed towards him, freezing him. Grid lines spread across his body, and tingling numbness spread from his toes, up his legs. White clouded his vision, but a thought pressed through his mind as his consciousness slowly faded out:

 _I have to find out what happened to Sora._

* * *

 _There's that chapter done. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Sora's experience and all of his friends should help Shirou regain that spark of humanity that went missing during the Great Fire. –_ Well, it'll certainly key him into some things, at least.

 **DPSS:** _Roxas is alive? Awesome. I thought for sure he was daed._ – Yep! I figured there were a lot of characters who really didn't get much of a happy ending directly after Xehanort and the Puppet Master, so I threw him a bone.

 **ultima-owner:** _so Heartless have a chaotic maelstrom of dark emotions and darkness as their heart and Nobodies are like abandoned honeycombs that have remnants still clinging to them_. – More or less.

 **Parks98:** _Not only do we have Roxas but we have Roxas in charge of a bunch of nobodies!_ – Haha, yep. I figured it would be a good way to go with his character, now that he can choose his own path. He has an idea of what they'd be going through, after all. _Sooo Kairi and Sora dated...that was a thing_. – Yep. The actual reason they _aren't_ dating anymore should be explained relatively soon, though you get hints of it this chapter.

 **Joachim Armster:** _It was fun to meet up with with new, but familiar characters. Though i would have liked to see more character building between shirou and kairi or roxas._ – Hmm, true. I know there's going to be some more interacting in the next chapter, and at the moment things are pretty serious for them, but I might be able to squeeze a few more character-building moments in. _That being said and not to start a debate in reviews or the like. But for the sake of simplicity i would like to point out that kingdom hearts is a series that isn't meant for power scaling, but instead for seeing many universes come together. It is the reason sora can fight the heartless battle ship a world destroyer yet still team up with beings like beast that can barely fight a human hunter and can't one shot the weakest heartless in the next game.. Similarly he can move faster than light deflecting lasers, but isn't shown to be any faster than captain jack sparrow. I suppose what i am saying is if you only took sora's best feats he wouldn't be fit for any stories or even his own game. Lastly i could have sworn the keyblades strength is connected to the power of your heart and sora's heart isn't anywhere near at its strongest in this story._ – I debated for a while and decided I wanted to copy most of your review here because you bring up an excellent point; it's very difficult to power-scale things within the Kingdom Hearts universe, and Sora's feats against the Heartless compared to humans are actually part of the reason why I consider him still basically human-level in abilities! To kind of pre-empt the debate in reviews thing: If anyone wants to have an extended discussion on this topic (or others), please send it to me in a PM, rather than a review!

 _Thoughts on the chapter? Feel free to let me know!_


	34. Picking up the Broken Pieces

_Here we go; chapter thirty-four is up. Thank you phuxeds, RedRat8, ultima-owner, and Parks98 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Picking up the Broken Pieces**

Sora stood outside Shirou's door. He lifted a hand, hesitated, sighed and rubbed his head. "Shirou. Hey, you still in there?"

Nothing sounded from inside.

Sora shifted, then rapped the door. After a moment he pushed it open. "Shirou?"

The room was empty.

Sora stood in the doorway a few moments. He chewed his lip and glanced down the hallway. _I guess he decided to go exploring._ He moved away from the door, footsteps pacing slowly down the hallway, their echo dropping heavily in his ears.

Voices drifted to him. "So he finally decided to drop by, huh?"

Sora lifted his head.

Roxas said, "Yeah, but he has something important to discuss with his apprentice right now."

"Oh, come on, Roxas!" came a cheerful female voice. "We haven't seen him in forever."

Sora rounded the corner and stopped. "Hey, Leon, Yuffie."

Yuffie whipped towards him and waved. "Hey, Sora! Long time no see!"

He forced a smile. "Yeah. It's nice to see you guys again."

Leon and Roxas were locked into something of a stare down. Roxas glanced towards Sora, then dipped his head. "I'm going to check on my Nobodies."

Leon said, "You do that."

Roxas turned abruptly and left.

Sora asked, "What's going on there?"

Yuffie replied, "Leon's not real comfortable with Nobodies roaming Radiant Garden. He's always nervous when Roxas stops by."

"But you guys know Roxas. He'll keep them under control."

" _You_ know Roxas," Yuffie corrected. "I mean, I don't have anything against the guy, and it's definitely better than the Organization. But it's still a little bit unsettling."

Leon approached them. "Been a while."

Sora nodded and considered his words. "Yeah. You guys both joined the guard, right? How's that been going?"

"Great!" Yuffie said. "Some of the new recruits are troublemakers, but we know how to put them in their place."

Leon added, "We heard you got an apprentice, yourself."

"Yeah." He sighed and rubbed his neck. "And I really need to find him. You guys think you could help?"

They exchanged glances. "Sure," Yuffie said. "But I'm sure he'll turn up sometime, too, you know."

Leon said, "Yuffie."

"Alright, alright, we'll catch up later. Maybe he can train with some of the guard recruits while we chat."

Sora nodded, and flashed a weak smile. "Thanks, guys."

 **-When** Shirou's vision cleared, he found himself back in the computer room in Radiant Garden.

The blond man stood at the computer, typing furiously. "Damn kid, what was he doing—Tron? Tron! Did you find the kid? Come in."

Shirou blinked. He shook the man's arm.

He jumped and whipped towards him. "You! Tron got you out?"

"Yeah."

The man released a heavy breath and leaned against the keyboard. "Thank God. Could've given me a freaking head's up, though."

"I need to find Sora."

"Pardon?"

"Sora. My master. Do you know where he is?" He shifted and glanced towards the door, then back to the man. "It's important."

The man thumbed his nose, then crossed his arms. "Oh, no. You ain't getting out of this so easily. I'm taking you to Radiant Garden's ruler, first."

Shirou blinked, shifting through his information a moment, then remembered, "Kairi?"

"Yeah. She can sort you out." The man placed a hand on his back and steered him away.

The two walked through the hallways in relative silence. The man asked once, "Did you see the bugs?"

"Yeah. Tron," he hesitated, "figured out how to fix them. Maybe."

The man made a noncommittal murmur, and silence fell again. It pressed on Shirou's ears, and he glanced uncertainly behind him. "I really need to see Sora."

"You said that. Maybe you'll get lucky and he's hanging out here." He stopped before two small double doors. He knocked, then threw them open.

Kairi sat at a desk, her hand scrunched into her hair, pen tapping a piece of paper. She glanced up, then straightened. "Shirou?"

"Decided to visit the computer room. Got sucked into Space Paranoids for a while." He urged Shirou forward. "Figured I'd leave it to you to explain protocol."

She pursed her lips. "I see. Thank you, Cid."

Cid nodded, then left. The doors thudded behind him.

Silence blanketed the room. Shirou shifted, eyes tracking the small light fixtures along the walls. "I need to find Sora," he tried weakly. He flashed her a pleading glance.

"What for?"

He shifted. "Answers." He didn't know how better to explain it, and turned to look over his shoulder at the door. A long moment passed while Shirou squirmed and Kairi continued to eye him.

Kairi sighed. "You can sit, Shirou." She gestured to some chairs along the wall.

He sat in one.

Kairi giggled. "You can also bring it here."

The tension relaxed slightly, and Shirou dragged the chair over. He sat on the edge and tapped into his magic. Kairi's heart radiated concern, uncertainty, but also a sort of peace and firm resolve. Light pulsed around the corridors and weaved around his magic, making his heart feel dim in comparison.

Amusement filtered in. "Didn't Sora teach you that's rude?"

Shirou cut the magic off abruptly.

Kairi laughed.

"You can sense it."

" _Most_ people can sense it at your level. Most people just don't know what it is."

Shirou shifted in his seat and shot an uncertain glance her way. He braced his hands on the chair. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

"You aren't hurt, and my friends and I got into far greater trouble when we were young."

The question bubbled to Shirou's tongue and spilled out. "What was it like?"

Kairi searched his face, then sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "A childhood with Riku and Sora. It hardly seems real sometimes. Especially now, when they're both Keyblade Masters." A wistful note entered her voice.

Shirou leaned forward. The chair creaked.

Kairi smiled. "We were like most kids, before we left. The whole idea was Riku's—to leave, I mean. He wanted to explore even before I arrived."

"Arrived?"

"I originally came from this world." Kairi shot Shirou a glance, and her expression dimmed. "Shirou. The answers you're looking for are about Sora's past, aren't they, and about what it means to be a Keyblader?"

Shirou blinked, and thought about the data version. "Yes."

Kairi nodded. "Then what I'm about to tell you is very important, and I need you to understand it before he talks to you. Even I'm not sure if he'll tell you the whole story, but I hope I can help you fill in the gaps, if he doesn't, and possibly understand him a little better."

Shirou sat straighter.

Kairi looked at her hands and ran a thumb along her palm. "Sora is very dear to me, but he isn't perfect. When we were forced to leave Destiny Islands, no one expected him to wield the Keyblade, or become a hero. He hadn't even initially been that interested in leaving. To be honest, despite his kindness, his bravery, I think he still would've been suited better to a more domestic life." The wistful note entered her voice again. She folded her hands and remained silent a few moments. "You've heard of the Puppet Master, right?"

Shirou nodded.

"Do you know what he can do?"

"Xi—someone told me he can connect to a world's heart, like Sora can, and manipulate a world's memories."

"And other people's memories, too."

A piece slowly settled into place in Shirou's mind.

"He used that ability on all of us. Out of jealousy, I think, that someone else shared an ability he thought made him unique. With me, he—he reminded me that I was the heir of Radiant Garden. That I had a responsibility to this world that I was failing. I know he reminded Riku of when he gave into darkness. I don't entirely know what he reminded Sora of, but I do know that Sora was able to fight him, at first."

Shirou imaged his mentor on some mental landscape, resisting some shadowy man's attempts to sway him.

"So he tried harder. He threw more into it than he did with me and Riku. People who can connect to hearts can share emotions with others, when they get really good, even if the emotions feel foreign, and that's what the Puppet Master tried to do with Sora. When Sora tried to push back, it activated his heart magic in full."

The image of his mentor faltered. Something shivered down his neck. "What does that mean?"

"Heart magic normally activates slowly, for the health of the user. When the full extent is forced to activate when a user isn't ready, then he can't control it. It's always on, spilling everywhere. The user—the user is forced to experience all the emotions and memories of every sapient creature near them, constantly."

More pieces fell into place. The world slowed. His heart thudded. Shirou's vision tunneled towards Kairi.

Her eyes had drooped, her eyebrows fallen, but she kept her focus on Shirou. "Everyone thinks that Sora helped with sealing the Puppet Master, but he couldn't. Aqua saved him. He fled the moment he could. We searched for him for days. I finally found him, hiding on a nearly-abandoned world. He wasn't—he was nearly hysterical. I tried to talk him down, but I don't think I helped." Her voice shuddered, and now she lowered her head, eyes closing. "He asked me if I was afraid of him, because of—because he was a Heartless, technically, without Roxas as a part of him. I told him I wasn't, but—but I remembered what he'd nearly become when Roxas was first released, and fear still entered my heart. He saw that."

She didn't cry, but Shirou almost expected her to. He lowered his head.

"He explained things to me. What was going on, as best he could, and he said he needed to be away. No matter how much that tore him up inside, he just—couldn't. Not with the way his magic was acting, or the mental state he was in. I promised him I'd help. I wouldn't tell anyone until _he_ was ready to, and I'd keep others from looking for him. Donald and Goofy didn't like it, but with King Mickey's help I managed to talk them down. It didn't work so well on Riku, and he searched for a while before he finally listened to me. I think Aqua understood the best because she was still learning how to cope with her own loss.

"Sora did contact us again, and for a while kept steady contact through letters and transmissions. He seemed really eager at first, and I thought maybe we'd be able to see him again soon." Her stare bored into him, and he slowly lifted his head to meet her eyes. "This is the first time I've seen him since that event, and I thought I was doing the right thing back then, but maybe I was wrong. I should've told someone a lot sooner what was going on."

Shirou's hands hurt, and he slowly released the chair and flexed his fingers. A part of him realized he was shaking. "So why are you telling me now?"

"Because you deserve to know." Her gaze slid past him.

The door creaked open. "Hey, Kairi, have you seen—" Sora paused. "Shirou?"

Shirou didn't turn immediately, his eyes staring at nothing, body stiffening like a child caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. He tried to school his features and, slowly, turned to face his master.

 **-Something** in Sora panicked. He wasn't ready. He'd expected to at least kind of see Shirou coming, to prepare, to be able to say, "Come on, let's go for a walk," and he'd be able to tell an abridged version of events, and maybe moving and not having to look at his apprentice would help. But now he stood here, voice caught in his throat, half-tensed to run, with Kairi giving him that sad look and Shirou _refusing_ to look. His apprentice turned, slowly, and wide amber eyes met his, and suddenly he understood.

Shirou knew.

Or, at the very least, he knew some of what Kairi knew.

Sora looked away. "Beat me to it, huh?"

"Sora—"

"It's fine. Really." He gave her a weak smile, but didn't have the focus at the moment to activate his magic and reassure her. "Like you said, he needed to know. Hey, maybe now it'll be easier, right?"

Kairi nodded, but her eyes still scrunched with worry. She stood and moved to the door. "I'll leave you two alone." She paused beside him, and opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked away and continued past.

He puffed a sigh and whispered, "I know."

The door shut.

Sora met Shirou's gaze briefly, then looked away. He sat, crossing his legs and hunching in on himself. Over the past few hours he'd considered this so much—how he'd start, what he could say to make it easier, but his decisions all fled. Instead he blurted, "I never meant to hurt them. Really."

Shirou jerked, and Sora suddenly realized she must not have told him about the events of the Second Keyblade War.

He didn't know if he felt grateful or terrified. "When—we needed to release Roxas, for a seventh Keyblader. Aqua told you about that, right?"

Shirou started again, but nodded.

"That—that, by a technical definition, makes me a Heartless. I guess I don't really look it, huh? Heh, it's actually a bit more complicated, but, um." He took a deep breath. "I'd only recently passed my Mark of Mastery exam, then. It's a rite of passage to become a Keyblade Master. I'd fallen to darkness, briefly, because of Xehanort, so part of my test was to learn how to fight my own darkness. I managed it, in the exam. Riku gave me tips. It wasn't easy, but I tried to recall my own light. It, um. It." He paused, swallowed, continued, "It didn't work so well in reality. I mean, at first. It ended up fine! Obviously."

He stared at his hands. For a moment they resembled claws streaming with darkness, and he shivered. "I'd still stored up a lot of darkness. It—it _overwhelmed_ me then, and I attacked them." His voice dropped lower and lower, and a part of him wondered if Shirou could still hear him. "I only truly managed to defeat my darkness then. That's how I regained this form."

Shirou said, "But your heart doesn't feel like theirs."

"Eh?"

"It's not like a Heartless's."

Sora blinked, then chuckled and rubbed his head. "Like I said, it's a little more complicated than just 'I'm a Heartless now.'" He lowered his hand, and his voice slowly steadied. "But the memories of it are still pretty terrifying. The Second Keyblade War, too, but that was worse for Aqua than anyone else, I think.

"Xehanort was Aqua's villain. He tormented her and her friends years before I ever wielded the Keyblade. We fought with Xehanort's small army, and we nearly lost. Terra helped us by fighting from the inside, but it wasn't enough. Xehanort summoned the X-blade. We were sent into darkness. All of us thought the events of the first Keyblade War were about to repeat themselves."

It was significantly easier, he decided, to talk about these memories than the ones to come, and he allowed himself to smile. "I used the same tactics to avoid being corrupted by that darkness as I did my own. I remembered my friends, and all the light in my life. I think I accidentally activated my heart magic, to some extent. It attracted the others to me. It connected out hearts, and it awakened one inside me." He touched his chest. "Ven was the original wielder of the X-blade, you know. It's what Xehanort intended him to be. He refused to hurt his friends, and voluntarily broke his heart to prevent the X-blade's use. His heart hid in my body to recover.

"When I activated my heart magic, Ven awoke inside me. I allowed him to take command of my body for a while, and he stole the X-blade from Xehanort, as it still recognized Ven as its Master above him. The X-blade—it's a weapon that can unlock Kingdom Hearts, and gives the wielder immense power. Ven used it to stop the encroaching darkness and defeat Xehanort's army, but it came at a price. Since Terra's body was still possessed by Xehanort, he ended up being—being killed with the others. Same with Ven, but he didn't want to force me to carry his heart anymore, anyways. Aqua was devastated.

"We recreated a sort of 'Keyblade Organization' after that. Aqua and Mickey were made co-leaders, but Aqua was intended to take over completely once she could recover. We all felt the loss, but things were still _okay._ It felt like, with all of us together, we could handle anything."

Sora paused. He wet his lips. He laced his fingers. He half-whispered, "But we couldn't."

Shirou was still staring at him, his expression blank, unreadable, but something in it made Sora feel like he had to press forward.

"I never knew," he paused, his voice still quiet, "how he heard of us. I guess it wasn't hard. But he came after us. The—the Puppet Master."

Shirou interjected, "I know this part."

Sora flashed him a look, and he almost fell over with relief and terror and suddenly he couldn't move or speak.

Shirou looked away. "Where you scared?"

"Y-yeah. Of—of a lot of things."

"What were you scared of?"

The words seemed weighted, and Sora considered the answer before finally admitting the truth. "Of hurting them. Of losing them. Of being hurt. Of not being the Keyblader I _should_ be and hadn't been." His shoulders drooped and he placed his hands in his lap. "I realized I had a long way to go, wh-when—well, you know. When I could again."

"Are you still scared?"

He didn't answer immediately. He finally whispered, "Yeah."

"Why? You can control your magic now."

"Because I can remember."

"Are memories bad?"

He'd grown suddenly quiet, and Sora jerked to look at him.

Shirou's focus had fallen somewhere away from him, but something almost sad had overcome his expression. "I lost a lot of memories. Would it hurt me, too, if I had them?"

"Memories aren't bad. They help us learn. But they're painful, sometimes. The thing is," he paused, looking away again, "to remember the light, and to cherish what you have."

"Then why are you still running?"

Sora met his fierce, curious gaze, and finally admitted, "I never let myself stop being afraid."

Shirou nodded. "I feel like that about the fire."

Sora blinked.

"I'm not afraid of it normally. But when I dream I am. And of the skeletons." He folded his arms across the chair's arm and rested his chin on them. "Because they're right, and it's scary. I'm not special. And if I'm not, then why did I deserve to be saved?" His shoulders tensed.

"You were chosen by the Keyblade. I'd say that's pretty special."

"But I'm not a good person. I let people die because I didn't want to. Sometimes I wish I didn't have that memory." His fingers tightened around his arms.

Sora stared at his apprentice and searched for an answer. "I think even the bad memories are good, even if they hurt. We just—we can't live in them. That's all. They're shades of our past. They should stay there."

Shirou's shoulders shook. Tears splattered the floor.

"Hey. I'm the one supposed to be crying here, not you." He hesitated, then pulled Shirou from the chair and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry," Shirou said, tears wetting Sora's shirt.

"You're not the one who needs to be sorry."

Shirou shook his head. He just repeated the words, over and over quietly, fingers curling into Sora's shirt.

"We'll get through this. We'll help each other. We'll make lots of good memories, and maybe they'll help combat the bad." He paused, then added in a whisper, "It'll take a while, but we'll heal. I promise."

Shirou sniffed. "Thanks, Dad."

Sora stiffened. He glanced at Shirou.

He'd fallen asleep. He probably hadn't even realized what he'd said.

Sora relaxed, and remained in that position, holding Shirou, until Kairi returned and found them there, both asleep.

* * *

 _And done! I've been waiting to do this chapter for a long time, so I hope it turned out alright. Oh, and because I know it probably seems weird that Ven's heart was still in Sora, instead of Roxas: originally Ven's heart_ was _with Roxas, but it transferred back over to Sora when he activated the heart magic because of the long-standing connection between the two. …Okay, review responses:_

 **phuxeds:** _If Roxas is around, shouldn't only one of them should be able to use the Keyblade at one time?_ – Actually, to be fair, both Sora and Roxas used the Keyblade during the time of _Chain of Memories_ , and if I'm remembering correctly Xion was also using the Keyblade for a period of that time. Regardless, however, it works a bit differently here. Since Roxas has developed his own heart, he was able to inherit a different Keyblade of his own—a little bit like how Data-Sora obtained a real Keyblade after his heart formed in _coded._ Roxas doesn't use it a lot, though, as it still brings up some unfortunate memories.

 **RedRat8:** _It seems Shirou is learning more and more about Sora every time he meets a new person._ – Yep! But he kind of has a better grasp on Sora's past as a whole, now. _He's right though, just because a heart has faded does not mean that it is all gone._ – Indeed. This'll play an important role down the line.

 **ultima-owner:** _I'd say that Data-Sora evolved from being a mere program to a full blown A.I. over the years._ – Yep! It was also mentioned by Nomura that one of the things he wanted to explore with Data-Sora was if data could form a heart of its own, and that's something that, considering the nature of future events in this story, I figured I should probably address.

 **Parks98:** _I'm really glad that we found out what happen to cyber Sora since I don't think that we every got any info about him after KH:Coded so I'm glad that he isn't well dead._ – Yeah, he never really appeared after that. To be honest, it always kind of felt like _coded_ had very little effect on the overall plot of the KH series, but I figured Data-Sora could have an important role here, even if it's rather small.

 _Any thoughts on the chapter? I'd love it if you'd review and let me know!_


	35. Closure

_Here's chapter thirty – five. Thank you reality deviant, Dullahan0, RedRat8, ultima-owner, OrionGold, Aburg76, Joachim Armster, and Parks98 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty - Five: Closure**

Sora yawned and stretched. He'd deposited Shirou in the boy's room when Kairi woke him, then moved to wandering the halls. His mind whirled, his thoughts refusing to settle, and he allowed his legs to carry him.

"Couldn't get back to sleep?" a voice asked.

He shook his head and turned with a crooked grin. "Got a lot on my mind."

Kairi moved to him, smiling. "So what are you guys going to do now?"

Sora shrugged. "I think we'll stay a few days. I still need to kind of," he paused, searching for the words, "figure out some things. Get my thoughts sorted, I guess."

"Good. It'll be nice having you around for a while."

Sora looked at her a moment. Then a smile slowly crossed his lips. "Yeah. It'll be nice to _be_ around for a while."

 **-Shirou** glanced at Leon uncertainly.

The man was eyeing the young guardsmen and women with a critical eye. "Alright. Pair up."

The recruits moved.

Leon coughed dryly.

One slid towards Shirou and smiled awkwardly. Blond hair hung about her face, her guard uniform too loose, a wooden sword in her hand. She looked a couple years older than him. "Name's Gwen."

"Shirou."

"Distance drills," Leon said. "Yuffie and I will be walking around to check your work."

Shirou shot Gwen a questioning look.

"That's like, you go back and forth but you try to keep the same distance between us. So you don't get hit, and stuff."

Shirou nodded and brandished the borrowed wooden sword.

Gwen grinned and slid into a fighting stance.

Leon said, "Begin."

Gwen moved.

Shirou copied the movement, and the two circled each other for a moment. Gwen took a step forward. Shirou moved back in response, eyeing the space between them, her sword still in his peripheral vision. Gwen continued to lead them back and forth, around in circles, occasionally springing back and forcing Shirou to catch up.

Yuffie called, "Careful, Rick! You're getting too close."

Gwen glanced briefly away.

Shirou took the opportunity to step into her guard.

She whipped towards him, blinking.

He waited.

She grinned, then stepped back. The two continued until Leon called, "Okay, that's enough."

Gwen relaxed. "You're pretty good at this. But I guess that comes from being a Keyblader, right?"

Shirou shrugged.

"So, hey, what's it like? Getting to travel the worlds and fight Heartless and stuff?"

Shirou blinked. "It's normal."

Gwen snorted. "Geez. Not fair. You're younger than me and already out fighting. I have to wait until Leon says I'm ready to take my final test before I can become a full guard and actually _fight_ things."

"We have an exam, too."

"Yeah, but it's not the same."

"Shirou!" a raspy voice called.

Donald and Goofy stood near the gate. Goofy waved.

Shirou shot Leon a questioning glance.

Leon nodded. "Go ahead. I'm sure you'll get plenty of training later."

Shirou nodded, returned the sword, and hurried to the two. "Where's Sora?"

Goofy said, "He and Kairi are talking." He winked conspiratorially.

Donald tapped his foot and shot Goofy a disapproving look.

Shirou shifted, glancing between the two.

Donald cleared his throat. "Come on, Shirou. We said we'd take you on a tour of Radiant Garden."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed, "there are a lot of things to see besides the castle!"

Shirou nodded and hesitantly followed the two.

They walked through the streets of Radiant Garden. Shopkeepers still sold their wares, and they'd wave to them as they passed. The defense system scurried across the ground, inactive for the moment. Donald rambled, pointing out various spots. Occasionally a Nobody would appear, startling some passersby or activating the defense system before scurrying away.

"And here," Donald said, waving importantly, "is where we fought off an army of Heartless."

A wide, open expanse stretched before them. Stairs led from their point on the wall to the ground. A large memorial stood in the area's center. Flowers and grass had been planted in patches around it.

Shirou glanced at them. "You guys fought an army?"

"Yep," Goofy said. "That was back when we were dealing with Organization XIII. They were a group of Nobodies that were supposed to be Xehanort clones."

"Xehanort clones," Shirou repeated.

Donald said, "Xehanort was trying to put pieces of his heart into other bodies to create the X-blade."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed, "but he couldn't always get it to work, so he brought memories of himself out of other worlds to help fight with him."

Shirou blinked. "That can happen?"

"Yep." Goofy paused to scratch his head. "I think the young one was really the past him, though. I think he's the only one who actually still had the trust of the worlds' hearts. You know, because at that point he hadn't done anything bad yet."

Donald cleared his throat. "Anyways, that's over now, and Roxas is trying to make things better."

A Nobody appeared at the top of a building and glanced down towards them, then disappeared again.

"So," Shirou began, thinking of Xion and unsure how to phrase his question, "what happened to the memories?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged glances. "Well, gawrsh," Goofy said, "I guess they just disappeared."

"Oh."

"Ah," Donald said, "don't worry about it. He wasn't very nice."

Shirou considered the words, then jumped when Donald said, "Come on! Let's go down there instead of standing around."

Shirou hurried after them.

They bounded down the steps and to the stairs' exit. The flowers waved along a narrow cobblestone path. Shirou hesitated at the entrance, then took the lead. The wind stirred as he approached the monument.

The stone structure wasn't particularly ornate; it towered above them, but had few features. It more closely resembled a broken piece of stone, and Shirou might have believed it such had it not been carved from a cleaner block below. Words sprawled along the circular base, and Shirou read enough to gather that they told the story of Radiant Garden's fall and restoration. Shirou touched the monument. "Why's it like this?"

Goofy said, "Because it reminds people here of what they got back."

"Got back?"

A voice interrupted, "It's their way of healing."

"Roxas!" Donald exclaimed.

The Nobody approached them from the town entrance, casting his own glance towards the monument. "We had something in the Organization, once. It helps to remind others of things both lost and gained, but it also helps them move past it."

"Why?"

Roxas furrowed his eyebrows, and for a brief moment his expression reminded Shirou of his mentor's. "I'm not sure. I'd imagine because it gives some sort of closure. The individuals or events are honored, so they don't have to linger in people's hearts. Or maybe just having something tangible feels more comfortable." His expression morphed into something more difficult to read, and Shirou tapped into his magic.

Donald distracted him before he got the opportunity to focus. "What are you doing out here?"

"Keeping an eye on things. There isn't much for me to do at the castle." He snorted. "I don't think I'll be staying long, though."

"Why's that?"

"Most people here can't forget what Nobodies did to them, once." He gave the monument a dry look, and his lips twisted into a smirk. "Or maybe it's because our hearts are still fragments compared to theirs. I'm sure a lot of people would prefer if our kind faded back into nothingness."

"Hey, now," Goofy said, "that's not fair. Sora made sure everybody knew about the Nobodies having hearts."

"I know." Roxas's shoulders sunk. He added, almost too quietly for Shirou to catch, "But I don't know if I can blame them." He straightened and moved past them.

Shirou watched him go, then shot Donald and Goofy a curious look.

Goofy said, "Figuring out a new heart must be tough."

Shirou absently touched his chest.

They stood in silence a few moments. Donald broke it by saying, "Let's just keep going. There's lots more to see." He and Goofy moved past the memorial.

Shirou hesitated. He left his hand on the memorial a few moments more, the wind tugging his clothes and hair. Then he moved, hurrying to catch the others.

 **-Shirou** paused at the door.

Sora's voice drifted towards him. Kairi's mingled with it, though he couldn't make out the words.

He hesitated, then steeled himself.

Xion asked, "Are you sure this is something you want to do?"

He was focusing so hard on the door he hardly noticed she'd appeared. He still nodded and finally pounded on the door.

The voices drifted away. Kairi called, "It's open!"

Shirou entered.

Sora and Kairi sat across from each other, a careful distance between them, but Sora seemed more relaxed than when Shirou had last seen him. His mentor flashed him an uncertain grin. "Hey, Shirou. What are you doing here?"

Shirou glanced between the two. Suddenly his request died in his throat.

"Shirou?" Sora's expression fell. "Is something wrong?"

Shirou scuffed the floor. "It's nothing."

Sora frowned.

Kairi said, "Shirou, it's alright. Whatever it is, we won't be upset."

He glanced aside. Something inside him rebelled. This was selfish. His mentor was happy. He shouldn't be asking something for himself.

But if he could get closure, he silently argued, couldn't he help Sora better? He could worry about his own problems for a short time, and then never have to worry about them again.

"I want," he stopped and balled his fists. He worried his lip and tried again. "I want to visit my home world."

Silence hung over the room. Shirou couldn't turn to look at his mentor.

Kairi's laugh caused the fragile tension to melt. "Maybe something we said influenced him, after all."

Sora laughed uncertainly. "More likely one of the guard recruits. They're always interested in other worlds."

"The memorial," Shirou corrected, frowning. "It's supposed to give closure."

Understanding lit Sora's eyes. "Got you."

"We don't have to leave right away."

"It's fine. We—well, we were probably going to have to leave soon, anyways."

Shirou shot him a surprised glance.

Sora sighed, suddenly deflating. "I'm probably going to have to apologize to Aqua. Somehow. I'm not looking forward to that."

Kairi nudged him. "You're probably thrilled about this excuse to avoid it, aren't you?"

"Yep."

Shirou blinked, glancing between the two of them.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning," Sora told him. "That way we can spend a little more time with everyone."

Shirou nodded. Unsure what else to do, he turned and left.

Xion paced beside him, a troubled look on her face.

He glanced behind him, then hurried out the door and whispered, "Xion?"

She looked at him and fixed a smile on her face. "I'm fine! Just thinking."

Shirou frowned, and opened his mouth to press, but Xion chose that moment to disappear.

 **-Sora** stood near the Gummi ship. Some of the guard recruits had taken Shirou aside, extorting promises from him and talking animatedly. Leon stood a few paces back, watching with a faintly amused expression on his face, while Yuffie leaned in to give Shirou some advice of her own.

Donald, Goofy, and Kairi stood in front of him. Donald said, "Don't be so reclusive next time."

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed his head. "Sorry. I'll try not to be."

Goofy added, "Make sure you come visit!"

"Right."

Kairi moved towards him. She smiled, then pulled her hands from behind her back and revealed her charm.

Sora patted his pocket. "How did you—?"

She laughed. "I made another one, as a reminder." She passed it to him. "The first one was a promise that you'd come back after fighting Xehanort's Heartless." She pressed her hand over it. "This one is my promise that we'll always be here, and don't you forget it. Okay?"

The charm, once Sora started looking, resembled Aqua's wayfinder more than Kairi's old good luck charm. The stained glass 'shells' were still connected with leather straps and drooped a bit, but each piece radiated with an individually colored light: purple, blue, red, green, and yellow. "Thanks, Kairi." He closed his fingers around the charm.

"I made one for Shirou, too." She lifted a similar charm.

"I'm sure he'll love it." He cast his gaze beyond them. "So, did Roxas already leave?"

The three exchanged glances, then shrugged. Goofy admitted, "I don't think he feels very welcome here."

Sora's shoulders drooped. "Right." He supposed it saved him from having to admit he hadn't interrogated his apprentice about Xion yet.

Shirou hurried over to them.

Sora asked, "Ready to go?"

Shirou nodded, amber eyes flickering with determination.

Kairi lifted the charm and draped it over Shirou's neck.

He blinked, examined it, then shot her a questioning glance.

"For good luck. And to remind you of all the hearts you've connected to." She offered him a kind smile. "You have friends here."  
He started, eyes widening, then gave a tiny, uncertain smile and nodded. He tucked the charm beneath his shirt.

Sora waved, then led the way onto the Gummi ship. His heart tugged when he sat in the seat and his throat tightened. He cleared it and started the ship. "So," Sora said, lifting off and trying not to look at the retreating forms below, "where do you plan to go once we get there?"

"To the site of the fire."

"Right."

They flew in relative silence after that. Sora glanced at the worlds about him, trying to remember the best path. They steered through the worlds for a long time. Shirou examined the charm when Sora glanced back to check on him.

The familiar world finally came into sight. Sora slowed and furrowed his brow. The world seemed mostly the same from outward appearance—same massive structure, same color, same shape. But a warning screamed in Sora's heart that he couldn't place. He frowned and touched his chest.

Shirou asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." _I hope._ He moved to land.

The world distorted before his eyes. Multicolored lights flared around him, turning to a plane of dark blue, images flickering around the Gummi ship's window. Static buzzed in his mind. His heart thrummed. A voice—vaguely female, resonating, encompassing—pressed against the inside of his skull: _I've found you._

And suddenly they were dropping towards the world.

 **"—irou.** Shirou!"

Shirou blinked open bleary eyes.

He lay sprawled across the floor of the Gummi ship. Sora crouched over him. He sat back with a relieved sigh. "Good. Everything okay? Any lightheadedness? Pain?"

Shirou shook his head, but sat slowly. "What happened?"

"Rough landing." Sora's expression turned pensive. "I think the world called us here."

"The world?"

"Yeah. The entrance was different, and the world spoke to me before we crashed."

Shirou blinked, and stared wide-eyed at his mentor.

Sora turned towards him with an awkward smile. "But on the bright side, the Gummi ship seems to be alright!" The smile dimmed. "But I think when we get to the site of the fire, I'm going to go and see if I can connect with the world's heart."

Shirou nodded. "Is it bad?"  
"I don't know. I couldn't connect with the world's heart when I was here before, so the fact that it contacted _me_ is weird. I just want to find out if something's going on."

The two left the Gummi ship and traveled through a short crop of woods before reaching the city. They moved along the sidewalks. Few people passed them where they were, but the church reared beside them. The hair on the back of Shirou's neck rose. He slid to the opposite side of Sora and opened and closed his fist, half considering summoning Vir. His heart rattled in his chest. He took a deep breath and closed his fist.

Sora rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're here now. Okay?"

Shirou nodded, but the tension didn't ease until they'd left the church behind.

The buildings towered around them as they moved. More people filled the streets. Cars buzzed along the road beside them. Shirou glanced about them, and suddenly it hit him how little he actually knew about his home world. It seemed he was visiting a new world with his master, rather than returning to the place he'd been born.

Sora stopped suddenly.

Shirou nearly ran into him, then stiffened. Darkness swamped his heart, even without his magic activated, and he shivered.

Sora asked, "You feel that, too?"

"Yeah." He scanned the park. "This is where the fire was, isn't it?"

Sora nodded.

Shirou took a few hesitant steps into the park. A few kids played, watched by nervous parents, but other than that the park seemed empty. Trees and grass had been planted where once there were buildings, but they wilted.

Shirou took another step forward, and something crunched beneath his foot. He leapt back, and it took a few moments before his brain registered he'd stepped on a stick, not bones or debris.

The darkness pressed around him, suffocating him. Heat filled his lungs and licked his back and face. Fire spread across the ground and burned away the grass to reveal a graveyard.

One of the kids screamed, and Shirou jerked towards them.

A hand landed on his shoulder.

He jumped, nearly summoned Vir, and glanced to his side.

"Hey," Sora asked, "you alright?"

Shirou shot a glance towards the kids.

One had fallen and scraped his knee. He scrambled to his feet, yelling at his friends.

Shirou swallowed.

"We don't have to do this, you know."

Shirou shook his head. "I'll be okay." He stepped away.

Sora worried his lip. He glanced to the side, then back to him.

"Go check on the world. I'm fine."

Sora hesitated a moment longer, then turned away reluctantly. "I'll be close by, alright?" He pointed towards bench near a copse of trees.

Shirou nodded and watched him go. Once he'd left he took a deep breath and walked through the park. _They're just trees. This is just grass. Nothing's burning._ He took a deep breath and slowly sank into the grass. He trailed his fingers through it. _The fire's over. It's done. I can't go back._

Something cloying crawled up his throat, and it felt like darkness stained his fingers. He shook his head and dug his nails into the dirt.

Now that he sat here, he wasn't sure what to do. A memorial had already been made, it seemed. He considered his options, and finally said, "I'm sorry." For a moment it felt like several eyes stared back at him, and he continued. "I'm sorry I didn't save you. I'm sorry I got to live and you didn't."

The next words caught in his throat. He considered not saying them, and just leaving—getting Sora, and fleeing the world. He didn't deserve to say this.

He shook his head. His eyes stung, but he continued, "But I don't belong here anymore. I'm a Keyblade wielder." He took a chunk of dirt in his hand and stared at it, then opened his palm and let the wind scatter it. "I'm going to move forward, because it's all I can do. And I'll try to save as many people as I can, so you guys can rest easy."

His heart lightened. He cast his gaze about the park. "It's a nice memorial." Maybe he could get Sora to help him remove the darkness clinging to this place.

A female voice asked, "Who are you talking to?" A black-haired girl stood a short distance away, hair in pigtails, arms crossed with a frown on her face.

Shirou considered his answer, then admitted, "The people who died here."

The girl gave him a strange look.

"I was rescued from the fire."

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "So you were with Kirei for a while, weren't you?"

"The priest?" A shiver ran down his arms and back.

"My former guardian."

"Oh." He paused, then offered, "Sorry."

"He was a jerk. And a phony." She huffed and glanced aside.

Shirou tilted his head. "What are you doing here?"

The girl whipped back towards him. "Nothing!" she squeaked.

Shirou frowned and tapped into his magic. A natural, prickly wall seemed to surround her heart, but he could still sense unease and anxiety beneath it.

The girl twitched and glanced about.

Shirou abruptly cut off his magic. He glanced towards where Sora sat, debated, then eventually said, "I don't live around here anymore. Could you show me around a little?"  
"Why?"

"Because I'd like to learn a little bit more about where I came from." He hesitated, then added, "And you said you weren't doing anything."

The girl snorted. "Alright. I guess I can give you that."

Shirou stood and extended a hand. "My name's Shirou."

The girl eyed it, then hesitantly shook it. "Rin Tohsaka."

 **-Sora** settled onto the bench. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He activated his magic, allowing the tendrils to reach towards the world. _Okay, I'm here. What did you mean before? Is something wrong?_

For a moment he believed he wouldn't get a response. Then: _I have heard about you, Keybearer. I remember your kind from eons ago._

A distant part of Sora's mind acknowledged Aqua had been right about this world being sentient. He continued, _What have you heard?_

The world continued as if he hadn't spoken. _Those like you believed themselves so far above everyone. They thought themselves protectors of the worlds, and yet they brought destruction in their wake._

 _The Heartless._

 _And the wars. And now you have dared to bring such a weapon here?_

 _I just sensed corruption. I didn't mean to cause offense._

 _You have done more than that, Keybearer. You have tainted my memories._

Sora paused, trying to process the words.

The world continued, _I created a much better method to protect my denizens. They wouldn't bring the corruption. They could ensure the population's survival._ A pause, then the world continued in a too-friendly voice, _Would you care to meet one?_

 _I—_

 _I'm sure you'd recognize him. But he would not recognize you._

Sora jerked, his eyes suddenly forced open. The air warped before him. Wind stirred. The grass compressed. Blue-and-white light burst outward from a human form.

Sora's eyes slowly grew wide. The skin was darker, the hair white, the eyes silver instead of amber. He was older, more built, but Sora recognized the face.

 _Do you understand now what you have done, Keybearer?_

Sora stared into the blank eyes, heart pounding in his ears, his breathing shaky, his mind reeling to process what his eyes recognized. "Shirou."

* * *

 _There's the end of this chapter. Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _Good background reveal chapter._ – Thanks!

 **Dullahan0:** _Very nice chapter. Loved the heart to heart talk._ – Thank you!

 **RedRat8:** _It is rather interesting how Shirou and Sora grow over the time they spent with each other…._ _We see that both of them are hurt and yet bit by bit they are starting to overcome their despair. –_ Yep! That's one of the fun things about writing their relationship: seeing how these two (currently) broken individuals can help fix each other.

 **ultima-owner:** _The chat they had did clear stuff up. –_ Indeed!

 **OrionGold:** _How long are we going to have to wait before the Holy Grail War? I like what you're doing so far but I feel like this story is going slow for awhile now._ – Now that we're at this point, I can actually give you a questimate of that! The actual preparations for the Grail War should begin in about 5-7 chapters, including this one. The Grail War itself should begin 11-13 chapters from this point—again, including this chapter.

 **Aburg76:** _Nice way you had Shirou meet Kairi and how she revealed a little bit about Sora's past. Nice interaction between Shirou and Sora like that part at the end classix_ – Thanks!

 **Joachim Armster:** _This chapter was really heart warming and the previous chapter was good build up to it, but i do regret that to get it we have to let the past events stay shrouded in some darkness and it would have been interesting to get a full account from sora on what he went through as this almost seems like dodging the issue a bit even if its a step forward for both of them._ – Haha, that was something of the intent, so I guess it's good it came off that way! To be fair, you'll probably still get to see some past events from Sora's point of view later, but for…different reasons. _It is also interesting to see shirou grow due to sora's suffering in ways he didn't because kiritsugu was never there and never shared…._ _Although i feel as though he isn't quite done with that either given shirou's propensity to say what he thinks is the right thing rather than how he really feels in this._ – Shirou definitely still has a ways to go—and probably won't ever entirely lose the 'I need to do something to make up for my survival' mentality—but he's trying to take a step towards healing thanks to Sora.

 **Parks98:** _Great chapter glad we got some background info and character development. Though I do wonder how this will develop shirou since we all know that shirou will never be a normal human._ – Thanks! You get to see a little bit of how his development changes in this chapter. As for other ways he develops, well…you'll have to wait and see.

 _Any thoughts, questions, or other comments? Drop a review!_


	36. Counter

_Okay, here's chapter thirty – six. Thank you RedRat8, Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros, Parks98, reality deviant, UNKNOWNGPX, Aburg76, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, Initiumi, Server lock, and phuxeds for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty – Six: Counter**

Sora reeled. "But—how?" He glanced towards where he'd last seen Shirou, but the boy seemed to have disappeared. "Did you do something to him?"

The world made a disapproving sound. _You should know better, Keybearer. Read his heart if you cannot figure it out for yourself._

Sora scanned the man's face for any sign of recognition. "Shirou?"

The man didn't react.

"Can you hear me?" Sora hesitated, then let his magic travel to the man standing across from him.

Images flashed through his mind like lightning. A version of the Shirou he knew—older, maybe in his teenage years—fighting alongside a blond-haired girl. The same version—older, darker-skinned and paler-haired—traveling across a desert. An empty, barren expanse, filled with swords upon swords, and the man who stood before him now screaming in agony.

No emotions radiated from the heart—suppressed by the world, Sora could only assume—but it felt distinctly different from the heart of _his_ Shirou. Similar, but fuller; still broken, but in different ways, and significantly worse than the boy he knew. Pain lurked below the surface, and regret, and bitterness, ever constant and ever flowing.

Sora whispered, "What did you do to him?"

 _I did nothing. The path he chose was his own._

"Then how did he end up in so much pain? Shirou—"

 _This is not the boy you know!_

The wind howled around him, stirring the man's red cloak, Sora's jacket and hair. Sora stared, his magic still thrumming in connection to this strange version of his apprentice. He balled his fists. He knew that. He could already tell. But, "That doesn't change the fact that this is still Shirou's heart, different version or not."

An angry hiss sounded through his mind and tugged through his ears. _You are being purposefully obtuse, Keybearer. I can sense your heart right now, just as you can sense mine. A part of you knows the truth._

An image of the Puppet Master flickered in the back of his mind, whispering, _"You know the truth, deep inside your heart, but you refuse to admit it."_

 _The man you see before you is the boy who lived on_ my _world. He gave his heart and soul to me, in order to become strong. This is the man you face. This is the boy you stole. That one with you should not exist outside_ this _world._

A chill ran down Sora's neck. Something clogged his throat. His heart thrummed.

 _You are starting to recognize your folly._

"What do you want from me?"

 _I want you to leave this world, and let the other Keybearers know that they are not welcome here. They are not to bring their corruption here, or pass on the Keyblade to a denizen of this world. And you must destroy the boy._

"What?"

 _You know the consequences of passing on a Keyblade to one who should not obtain one. All it brings about is misery._ Anger radiated from the world. _And far too many problems for their world of origin, should they have one._

"No. I can't agree to that. Regardless of—he's still my apprentice. He has the right to exist and live his own life. You don't control that." Anger of his own bubbled into his heart. He summoned the Kingdom Key. "I can leave your world, but I won't let you harm my apprentice."

A long pause stretched between them. _Arrogant fool._

The older version of Shirou twitched and moved. Swords materialized in his hands.

Sora jerked the Kingdom Key to block.

The twin blades collided with the Keyblade, metal screeching against metal.

 _There is a man out there who would very much like to see you dead. I promised I would aid him if he helped rid this world of the corruption you Keybearers first unleashed. I would have been willing to reconsider had you submitted to my request. As it appears you will not, I will take matters into my own hands._

Sora's hands tightened around the Kingdom Key's hilt. "Faith!" Light spiraled outward, forcing the older Shirou away, cutting long streaks through the grass. The few people who wandered the park stopped short to watch, then turned and hurried away.

Light radiated around Sora. "Where is my apprentice?"

 _You have bigger concerns._

Shirou lunged.

Sora released his connection to the world and slammed the entire force of his magic into the barriers around Shirou's heart. The man faltered momentarily; the barriers shuddered.

Sora took the opportunity to hurry in the opposite direction.

He'd hardly made it a few paces before the man appeared before him.

He dug his heels into the grass. "What?"

Shirou's twin swords flashed.

Sora parried two strikes with the Keyblade, but one made it through his guard and nicked his arm. Another made it passed and slashed his side.

Sora leapt backwards. "Cur—"

Shirou slipped into his guard and slammed a foot into his side.

Sora gasped. He swung his Keyblade on instinct, his body already flying sideways, and blocked one of the swords. He skidded across the ground and rolled to his feet.

Shirou was already rocketing towards him.

"Snap out of it!" He dragged his Keyblade up, twin swords clanging against the weapon. "How are you being forced to fight?" He searched the gray eyes, but no sign of consciousness flared within.

The man pulled away and swung one sword at Sora's midsection.

Sora moved to parry, arching backwards; the Keyblade missed its target, the sword cutting through fabric and leaving a shallow red line across his stomach.

Something flashed overhead. He moved on instinct; a weapon nicked his ear and dug into his shoulder. He sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth, activating his magic and pounding against the walls of Shirou's heart. "Wake up!"

The man flinched, then moved, almost faster than Sora could see.

Sora jerked into action, his Keyblade flying in a blur. For a few moments he concerned himself with parrying the rapid strikes. His strategy changed when a sword nearly speared his neck, and he instead pulled away, swinging his blade to protect his vitals in rapid succession. The swords came dangerously close; one cut shallowly across his chest, while another created a deep gash across his cheek. Metal clanged and sparked. Shirou's swords flashed, sending light and wind spiraling from them.

Sora stumbled backwards. His foot caught and twisted.

Shirou lunged.

Sora parried, allowing his Keyblade to slide down the sword, the tip resting on Shirou's chest. "Purge!"

Shirou sent him flying with another kick. He skidded across the ground. He groaned and shoved himself to his feet.

Shirou reset his stance.

Sora panted, eyeing the man through blurred vision. He tightened his grip on the Kingdom Key. _It's not corruption. I can't pull it out of him that way. So now what do I do?_ His magic provided a tenuous connection, running over the barrier, parting around it like water.

Shirou lunged.

Sora steeled himself. "Faith!"

The light attack streaked around him and collided with the incoming warrior. For a moment he met those empty, gray eyes, one sword upraised, the other to his side. Shirou flew upwards and away, a pillar of light snapping from the ground. The worst of Sora's wounds knitted themselves back together.

He took a deep breath as the light slowly faded. He tapped into his magic and kicked off. "Ars Acanum." Light haloed his body faintly. His speed and strength increased.

Shirou stood and lifted his swords.

Sora slammed the full force of his heart magic against his walls.

Shirou faltered momentarily, allowing Sora to slide in and get a few strikes. He recovered quickly, and parried Sora's remaining strikes. He swung his sword towards Sora's center.

Sora swept the Keyblade downward to parry, already preparing a spell. "Blizzaga!"

Pain lanced through his arm. The other sword had swung in and sliced deeply into the flesh. He sucked in a pained breath, his spell sent off target, colliding with the grass near Shirou's feet.

Shirou's second strike aimed for his neck while Sora stumbled.

Sora let himself fall; the strike grazed his cheek. He rolled to his feet, trying to hold his Keyblade two-handed and wincing. "Faith!" The lights flared outwards again. The wound in his arm healed.

Shirou leapt away before the lights could strike him. His swords disappeared, replaced with a bow. A sword materialized in his hand.

Sora frowned. _What is he doing?_ His mind winged back to the image of his apprentice's transformed Keyblade, and he sprinted towards the copse of trees.

Energy crackled around the sword as it shifted shape.

Sora's heart screamed a warning. _This is bad. I need help._ He reached for a magic long buried in his heart. He shoved it against the barriers surrounding the world. Something in his mind shifted and protested. He released the connection with Shirou's heart, focusing his heart magic instead on breaking through the world's guard. In his mind's eye thin tendrils pierced through a glass-like structure.

Shirou released the projectile.

Sora extended a hand. _Please let this still work._ Magic materialized around his palm. "Peter Pan!"

The barrier shattered. The world screamed in outrage. His head ached and his ears rang. A coppery taste filled his mouth. The air shimmered in front of him.

Pain shot through his chest and back. An explosion sounded. Dust and light and heat flashed around his body. His vision flickered black, and vaguely he thought he could see a pink, glass-like heart floating in front of him.

Then the pain receded, his vision cleared, and he gasped, his fingers curled into the destroyed ground beneath him.

"Boy," a familiar voice said, "that sure was close."

Tinkerbell hovered above him, her hands still glowing from her panicked magic.

Peter Pan floated nearby, worry shining through his smile. "Been a long time since you needed to call us! How've you been?"

Sora took shaking breaths. "You guys—as summons, you guys still can't be killed, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He clutched his heart. "Don't have time to explain. Distract him."

"Alright." Peter flew off. Tinkerbell hovered by Sora a few moments.

Sora's energy gradually restored itself. He forced himself to his knees, the dust still clearing around him, cloaking him. He tugged the keychain off the blade and replaced it with Kairi's old good luck charm.

Oathkeeper materialized in his hands.

He forced himself to stand on unsteady legs. His heart magic stretched towards Shirou's heart. It seemed rock-solid, stable, no weak spots that he could sense.

He pointed Oathkeeper through the dust. "Firaga!" The fire magic exploded from his Keyblade. He shot similar attacks in an arc in front of him.

The dust cleared. Flaming patches surrounded two battling figures, casting them in hellish light. Shirou turned blank eyes towards him, ignoring Peter Pan. He lifted his bow.

"Aeroga!" The windstorm surrounded him, deflecting most of the arrows. One slipped through, though diverted by the wind, and speared his arm. He tugged it free. Tinkerbell healed the wound.

"Tornado." The windstorm shifted and changed. The winds widened, then moved free of Sora, lifting the dust around him in a wild frenzy. He guided the spell towards to fires. "Look out!"

Peter Pan glanced towards him and flew away.

The winds stirred the flames and tugged them into the tornado, wrapping around Shirou and dragging him into the air. The flames spiraled upwards in a massive, flaming vortex, carrying his opponent with it.

Peter Pan moved to him. "Sora, our time's up here."

"That was quick."

"Yeah. I don't know. Something about this world's messing with the summon magic."

"That's fine. I kind of guessed." The tornado died. Shirou plummeted. "Thanks. I've got the rest."

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell disappeared.

Shirou began to correct himself, turning and firing several energy arrows.

Sora activated a shot lock. An arrow made it through before the invincibility activated, piercing the right side of his chest. He gasped, then focused the shot lock. Light surrounded him and haloed his Keyblade. He kicked off, flashing across the ground, and swung Oathkeeper at his opponent.

Shirou turned, blocking Sora's weapon.

Sora pressed a moment, arms shaking, eyes searching. Then he moved, swinging Oathkeeper at Shirou's side, then his shoulder, then his legs, the light sword a flurry of movement.

Shirou parried, suddenly on the defensive, blocking the light blade and attempting to land a hit of his own. The invincibility granted by the shot lock diverted the strikes, allowing them to slide harmlessly off Sora's clothes.

The two exchanged blows for a few moments, weapons blurred. The dust stirred and whirled around them. Sora's blade flashed near Shirou's cheek, the weapon casting the gray eyes silver.

Sora's weapom snapped sideways.

One of Shirou's swords broke, disintegrating.

"Shirou. Wake up."

The sword reformed.

 _He can do that?_ Something shivered in the back of his mind, but he refused to acknowledge it, instead spinning the Keyblade to parry two swipes from his opponent's swords.

Sora's magic waned. He grimaced, the arrow still caught in his chest, making it difficult to breathe. _I have to heal._ He leapt high, boosted by the magic, and released his magic, a long blade of light streaking from his Keyblade towards Shirou. He ripped the arrow from his chest. "Curaga." The green light shrouded him.

The dust below stirred. Arrows broke through it.

Sora transformed Oathkeeper. The Keyblade morphed into a shield, and he curled behind it as he fell. The arrows struck the protective covering, leaving dents inside.

He moved the shield in time to see Shirou hovering over him, framed by sunlight, his face coated in harsh shadow. He didn't bring the shield up in time to block; Shirou brought two swords down diagonally across his shoulders and chest.

He released a choked gasp. He tumbled towards the ground with Shirou plummeting after him.

Oathkeeper reverted. He extended the weapon, aiming the tip towards his opponent's chest. "Stopga."

A blue, ethereal clock materialized in the air. A hive pattern flickered around them. Shirou stiffened, his body unnaturally rigid, even his cloak frozen.

Both crashed into the ground. Sora's vision flickered momentarily. Dirt clogged his throat, and he coughed. Sirens wailed in the distance.

Sora forced himself into a sitting position. The wounds along his shoulders and chest burned. "Curaga." The green healing light flooded him. His wounds began closing, leaving behind much shallower, less serious wounds. He stood on shaking legs and moved towards Shirou. "H-hey. Hear that? We probably don't have a lot of time before innocent people start getting involved."

The man didn't budge.

Sora tapped into his magic. He sent it towards Shirou's heart. It poked and prodded cautiously at the barrier, searching for weak points. He winced. _My magic's getting low. I'll have to wait for it to recharge before too long._ Instead he kept a small, open link between his heart and this older version of his apprentice. He found the undercurrent of bitterness and pressed at it, keeping a steady, easier pressure against the source. "I know a version of you. He's struggled a lot because of the fire he was in. But you've struggled a lot more, haven't you?"

The man's eye twitched.

Sora applied a little more pressure, funneling the most powerful memories he could think of through the link. "I might be able to help, if you let me. I mean, what's heart magic if it can't do something for people's 'hurt,' right? It's something I've done before." His emotions mixed—fear, but also nostalgia, determination, concern, overriding the former. He allowed all to flow through the link, hoping his honesty might reach the man.

Shirou's fingers twitched.

The sirens drew closer.

Sora sucked in a deep breath and tried to force his nerves down. "But I can't do anything if you continue fighting me. Please. I don't want to hurt anyone, and if you're anything like the boy I know, you don't, either."

Anger surged beneath the pressure point, burning like an old, infected wound that had been left to fester.

Sora winced. "I don't know your story. But I'd like to help, if you'd let me. Just please. Stop fighting."

Shirou jerked.

Sora leapt back in time to avoid an upward slash. "Stop!"

The man stood and fixed him with a glare that somehow seemed more focused.

Sora released his magic, forcing it onto that single pressure point. His emotions blasted in a tumultuous frenzy across the link.

Shirou faltered. He shook himself, then moved.

"Snap out of it!"

The world creaked and groaned. Wind snapped around them. The corruption deep within the earth seemed to swell.

Sora glanced at the ground, then at Shirou. He turned Oathkeep to face point down and stabbed it into the dirt. His voice came out raw, pained, screamed with a desperation he hadn't known he'd felt: "Purge!"

Light flared from the tip of his Keyblade, lancing into the ground, spreading across the earth like veins. It latched onto the corruption beneath, and Sora tugged.

The world screamed and writhed. Sora grounded himself with his Keyblade. He made one last, final press with his magic.

The barrier shattered.

Shirou stumbled, his clouded eyes regaining focus.

Sora gasped, releasing Purge. The light faded away, and for a moment Sora caught surprise and confusion shooting across the tenuous magical link before that, too, faded.

Shirou's swords faded away. He stared, gray eyes stretched wide, his expression surprisingly reminiscent of the boy Sora knew. "Who are you?"

Sora didn't have time to answer; the wind howled, and light cloaked Shirou, snapping him away from the scene in a flash.

Sora panted and fell to his knees. Oathkeeper disappeared. His arms shook. His heart pounded in his ears. His vision flickered. _Shirou,_ a part of his mind supplied. _My Shirou. I have to find him._ He started to struggle to his feet, then collapsed, dirt puffing around him.

Sirens wailed from somewhere far away. Feet collected around his spotty vision. People spoke above him, voices dim.

 _Don't._

He tried to will himself up, vision and hearing fading.

 _Don't._

The world faded to black.

* * *

 _So how many people remember in KHII where Tinkerbell would cast Autolife once? …Not me until I looked it up, actually, but it came in useful. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _I must admit I did not expect Sora to meet_ him _so soon._ – Haha, surprise! I'd planned to have these two meet at about this point since the beginning, so it was rather exciting to finally get to this point. _Though to Alaya that is not really fair to Sora, as long as there is Light there will always be Darkness in Humanity._ – Ah, but Alaya—and by extension, Gaia—is an old world; who knows how much they've seen in regards to Keybladers?

 **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros:** _This world is evil!_ – Eh, I don't know if 'evil' is quite the right description, here; 'extreme' would probably work, though.

 **Parks98:** _Yes yes yes yes! It's finally happening!_ – We're here! _How the hell can Rin block out her heart from Somone who (even though an apprentice) can sense hearts?_ – Actually, different people have different levels of 'openness' to their hearts—in Rin's case, she's closed off her emotions even to herself, hence the barrier. Granted, a master of heart magic—such as Sora—can get through that sort of natural barrier rather easily. _Unnatural_ ones, on the other hand… _So what happen to Kirei and more importantly what happen to Gil?_ – At the moment I'm just going to say they're in hiding _. Are Kiritsugu and Illya inside Fuyuki?_ – That's actually going to be answered next chapter! (Since the next two of your questions were kind of answered this chapter, I'm going to skip them for spacing reasons. Hopefully that's okay?) _What is the relationship between gods and a world? We have seen that the world from Hercules has gods yet Sora was able to interact with the world (lock and unlock it to connect with other worlds aka KH1 and KH2)but unlike that world the gods in Gaia/earth are gone. So explain?_ – A lot of mythos surrounding this—and specifically revolving around the Keyblade/X-blade/Kingdom Hearts—is actually going to be revealed later in the story! This, though, I'll answer here. Basically, the tier of power goes like this: there's one God who created the entire multiverse, then there are the individual worlds themselves, then whatever gods may or may not populate the worlds. Most worlds are supposed to be self-regulating, and have a very strange sort of awareness, but they are technically the…bosses of themselves, minus the God who created them, I guess is the best way to put it? In this case, Gaia and Alaya are basically in charge of things. _Is Sakura still being abused (read: tortured/violated) by Zouken?_ – Unfortunately, that's something that didn't change because of the shift in Shirou's origin. Whether it remains that way, however…

 **reality deviant:** _Is...is that Alya showing CC Emiya! to Sora?_ – Yep!

 **UKNOWNGPX:** _After they leave Shirou's world how many other worlds are they going to have them visit or are you going to skip them and mention what they did in that world if it is relevant for the story?_ – There are three/four more worlds I'll show them visiting, but two are for a very short time and basically happen in the same chapter. The worlds I'm showing are story-related, so the other ones are basically going to be skipped.

 **Aburg76:** _Did Sora just meet Archer or was that a vision he was just sent?_ – Nope, real thing!

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _I wonder... Will EMIYA approve of what Sora has done? On the other hand... Will Sora bow to Alaya's wishes?_ – Haha, you'll have to wait a bit longer to see more of EMIYA's interactions with Sora, but for the second…well, he probably would've agreed if killing Shirou hadn't been on Alaya's to-do list.

 **ultima-owner:** _Rin is hiding from future hurts with the thorny wall around her heart._ – Yeah, pretty much.

 **Initiumi:** _I'm incredibly pleased with how this story is progressing. Each chapter feels meaningful, the pace is steady and strong, and all of the characters are friggin adorable._ – Thank you so much! I'm glad each chapter comes off that way, because there is something important in each chapter—though some parts aren't going to pay off until further down the line. _I thought that Shirou would pop back to his home world only just in time for the fifth Holy Grail War, but, well, I like what you did in this chapter way better….I half expected CG!Shirou to be non-existent, but once again I'm more than happy that you're throwing my expectations out the window._ – Haha, I've had this planned since the beginning, so I'm glad I could surprise you! Hopefully I'll be able to surprise you a few more times later on in the fic.

 **Server lock:** _He's speaking to Allya at the moment I think since that is the manifestation of humans… That said I don't know how much of a threat Sora is though he did take something precious unintentionally from Allya._ – Yep, he's speaking to Alaya. Realistically, Sora on his lonesome doesn't pose much threat to Alaya herself; it's more things connected to him that are causing issues.

 **phuxeds:** _EMIYA? Sora's fucked. Time for some Drive Forms._ – Haha, well, I guess he didn't do _too_ bad. Drive Forms I kept unavailable because of a lack of party members, but hopefully it was intense enough without them!

 _So like I said in some of the responses, this has been…basically planned since the beginning. It's a lot of setup for later, but it's also meant to illustrate Sora's prowess as a Keyblade Master, as well as the sheer power of a Servant-like character. I am hoping I got a good balance here, but I'd really appreciate feedback on it!_


	37. Again

_Here's chapter thirty – seven. Thank you Aburg76, DPSS, reality deviant, KHbelievers20, Parks98, RedRat8, ultima-owner, Initiumi, Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros, A.K.J.19, Question, Andaeus, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Server lock, a guest, and ranchboy1 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty – Seven: Again**

Shirou trailed after Rin. The two traveled along the city streets, people passing them and paying them little mind. Shirou glanced hesitantly back towards the park—already growing some distance away—and wondered if perhaps he should've stayed long enough to let his mentor know where they were going.

"Hey," Rin asked, "are you paying attention?"

Shirou whipped towards her. "Sorry."

Rin huffed. "As I was saying, this is the Shinto district of Fuyuki. It's newer, compared to the stuff over the bridge."

Shirou nodded.

Rin turned around, continuing as she walked, "There are two parts of Fuyuki: Shinto and Miyama. Miyama's where most people live, while Shinto's where a lot of the businesses are. The river separates the two."

"So you'd live in the Miyama district?"

"That's right."

Shirou absorbed the information and wondered if they'd have time to go visit. Maybe he'd stop back at the park and let Sora know. "So if I'd stayed here, that's where I'd probably live, too."

"Where _did_ you move to, anyways?"

Shirou jumped, surprised she'd heard him. "Um. Away."

Rin gave him a dry look. "That doesn't answer my question, you know."

Shirou rubbed his neck, unsure how to answer. "We don't stay in one place for very long. We do a lot of traveling."

"I see." Rin looked like she might want to ask more, but she clamped her mouth shut and turned around to continue her narrative.

Shirou followed. He stored the images of buildings and people and the bridge in his mind. He wondered, in a sort of detached way, about his lost memories, but he smiled. He touched Kairi's charm, still tucked beneath his shirt.

Light flickered in the corner of his eye. He turned.

Streams of light were just fading above the park.

"Shirou? Hey, are you spacing out again?"

Shirou shook his head slowly. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"The light." Shirou hesitated. He glanced the direction they'd been heading, then back to the park. He shifted. "It's probably okay." He started to turn back, but paused, whipping to the side when a shadow flickered past. It disappeared before he got a good look at it.

Rin caught his arm and tugged him forward.

He stumbled, but followed, balling his fists and swallowing back uncertainty.

Rin continued, talking and pointing out landmarks, while Shirou half-listened. Rin finally sighed. "You're not listening again."

"Sorry."

"What's got you so worked up? It's not still that light you thought you saw, is it?"

"Sorry," Shirou repeated. "I just want to go back and check. Maybe we could get Sora and go together."

"Who?"

"My dad." Maybe Sora was done trying to talk to the world. He wondered how that went. He turned.

"You could've just told him in the first place."

Light flared in the distance.

Shirou stiffened.

"What was that?"

Shirou started to move, but nearly tripped over something and stumbled backwards. Large plant buds had sprouted between the sidewalk cracks. He extended one hand slowly to the side.

Rin stopped beside him. "Those weren't there before."

The plants unfurled, revealing thorny teeth, bright red eyes, and long, hand-like leaves.

Shirou summoned Vir. "Run." He slid forward to slash one of the plants. Vir slammed into the plant's front; its clawed hands stretched, clinging to the blade. Shirou braced himself and tugged.

Several people stopped walking to stare. Someone lifted a phone, but was ushered away by his companion.

Shirou grimaced and tugged. He transformed his Keyblade, the action freeing the weapon from the plant's claws with a snap. His bow shook in his hands, but he pulled back an energy arrow and shot at the plant.

A purple-black blob flew past Shirou and struck the second plant. Rin stood with her finger pointed towards the creature, one hand bracing her arm.

Shirou blinked, then nodded thanks. He fired another arrow before his Keyblade reverted.

"Get back!" Rin called.

Shirou moved away.

Rin shot a volley of the dark shots. The plants writhed beneath the onslaught, squealing, then dissipated into darkness.

Shirou lowered Vir hesitantly. He flashed another glance towards the park in the distance and started to move.

Rin caught his arm and dragged him into an alleyway.

"Wait!" Shirou protested.

She forced him to face her. "What was that?"

Shirou pursed his lips, considering, and finally shrugged. "I don't know." He glanced behind him. _They didn't release hearts, so they have to be pure bloods. Does that mean there's a large one in the park right now?_

Rin eyed him skeptically, then turned her gaze to Vir. "You're a magus, aren't you?"

"A what?"

"Don't play dumb. How else could you summon a weapon like that? And you weren't phased when I used my magecraft." She gestured to Vir.

He decided to let it slide. He turned. "How do we get back to the park from here?"

"You aren't actually going back now, are you?"

"I have to. Sora's still there. What if more of—of those things are fighting him?" _Is that what caused the world to be so angry? The Heartless?_ A quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe the world could do something to them, if it had dragged them here, and smoke filled his nostrils and heat licked his back.

Rin lifted a hand. "Hold it. We need to think this out. We should have some sort of plan before we just rush in."

A snarl made both freeze.

A lion-like Heartless—black with a bright blue-green mane—stalked towards them. A growl rumbled in its throat.

Rin's eyes stretched wide. She whipped around, lifting her finger and shakily bracing her arm.

Shirou tightened his grip and Vir. Sweat dribbled down his cheek.

The Heartless roared and lunged.

Shirou slid to the side.

Rin fired, her shots flying wide.

Shirou swung Vir, dragging it beneath the Heartless's stomach and sweeping upwards.

The Heartless jerked, snarled, and whipped towards him. Its claws flashed towards Shirou's head.

Shirou ducked and rolled.

The Heartless turned in a tight circle, jaws snapping, tail lashing behind it.

Shirou slid, risking ducking beneath the Heartless's stomach, and dodged to the side. He hefted his weapon over the Heartless's head and swept it downwards.

The Heartless moved, allowing Vir to strike its back, then snapped a massive paw towards his shoulder.

Shirou parried. The vibrations from the strike rattled his arm.

Some of the purple-black shots struck the Heartless's side. It turned towards Rin with a snarl, paw lowering.

Shirou whipped his weapon around and stabbed at the creature's eyes.

It snapped back towards him, catching Vir in its jaws and twisting its head. It jerked, and Shirou struggled to remain standing. He released Vir, then re-summoned it, and risked taking a step forward. He ducked low and dragged Vir upward, slamming it into the Heartless's chin. The lion's jaw snapped shut. He altered the blade to touch the lion's chest and moved to stab. His blade met resistance, and he grimaced, pushing harder. Vir pierced the surface.

The lion's weight pressed against him. He stumbled, lost his hold on Vir, and fell. Claws dug into his shoulders. He lifted his legs and pressed his feet against the Heartless's stomach. The lion's jaws opened above him, red eyes gleaming, and his heart hammered in his chest, his fingers curling against the concrete.

"Hey!" A shot hit the lion's head. "Leave him alone, you jerk!"

The lion whipped towards Rin. The pressure on Shirou's shoulders lessened.

He freed an arm and summoned Vir. He swung the Keyblade at the leg pinning his other arm. It slid from his shoulder, and the lion stumbled. Shirou rolled away before the lion collapsed.

He leapt onto its back before it recovered. He wrapped his arms around its neck when it surged upwards. It bucked, snarling. Shirou grappled for a hold on its mane. He grimaced, but focused. He twisted Vir and forced the blade into the roof of the Heartless's mouth. His hand slipped, and he rocked, his legs kicking, until his fingers curled around the lion's open jaws. "Shoot!"

Dark volleys flashed past him. Some grazed his wounded shoulders and flashed in the corners of his eyes. Others struck the lion's legs and chest. Others made it past Vir and flew into the lion's mouth and down its throat.

The lion's back arched, and it dissipated abruptly into darkness. Shirou toppled to the ground.

Rin hurried towards him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He touched his shoulder and winced. Holes tainted red dotted his right shoulder, with smaller streaks extending down from where he'd torn free. His left shoulder look worse, with long gashes stretched horizontally along the top.

Rin stiffened. "We need to run."

Two more lions had appeared in the alley's mouth.

Shirou stared, then scrambled to his feet with Rin's help. They sprinted down the alley.

The lions hurtled after them. A crate exploded from energy shot nearby. Shirou winced, lifting an arm to block the wood chips. He shouted, "We need to head to the park!"

"We have bigger problems right now!"

Shirou cast one furtive glance back towards the approaching lions. He swallowed. _A Keyblader doesn't just let Heartless run free to hurt people._

 _But we have to survive long enough to stop them._

Shirou glanced about. "We need someplace higher."

Rin nodded. "Get up there." She gestured to a dumpster while she turned and tipped some trash cans over. They rolled towards the Heartless, momentarily hindering them.

Shirou scrambled onto the dumpster. He transformed Vir as he stood. He took a deep breath and focused. He sent cautious strands of heart magic towards the lions. It touched their hearts just briefly and created an invisible, powerful trail for his arrows to follow. He summoned an energy arrow and pulled it back. He sighted down the shaft towards one of the lions. The world narrowed.

Rin's energy shots fired towards the Heartless. "Whatever you're planning to do, do it!"

Shirou released.

The arrow flew true and collided with one of the Heartless' eyes. The lion jerked back with a choked snarl. Two of Rin's shots struck the Heartless's chest, and it dissipated.

The other Heartless scrambled forward.

Shirou turned his bow towards it.

A bang echoed through the alley. The lion jerked, then fell, skidding to a halt in front of the two children. Its body exploded into darkness.

Both stared. They exchanged glances.

"Well," a male voice drawled, "I didn't expect to find two magus children wandering the streets. What trouble did you get yourselves into?"

A man with black hair and black stubble, wearing a business suit and trench coat, strode towards them, a smoking handgun held to his side. A white-haired girl trailed behind them and giggled. "Couldn't handle the kitty by yourselves?"

Rin glared at her. "We were doing just fine."

"Um." Shirou glanced at Vir and realized that the shaking mostly came from his arm, not the weapon clasped in his hand. He wondered if he'd be more elated that he'd successfully held Vir's transformation if he wasn't still concerned about what was happening at the park.

Was Sora fighting the Heartless okay? He swallowed and forced himself to believe it. His mentor was a Keyblade Master. Sora would be fine.

He scrambled down from the dumpster.

Rin asked, "Who are you?"

The girl asked, "Is that any way to talk to a lady?"

"Illya."

Illya huffed, but relented. "Sorry, Daddy."

Illya's father knelt in front of Shirou. He reached a tentative hand towards the wounds and prodded them.

Pain burned through his arm, and he winced.

"I know some basic healing magecraft and first aid. We'd better get those wounds patched up before they get infected."

Shirou nodded.

A siren wailed.

Shirou stiffened and lifted his head. A faint glow flickered in his peripheral vision.

The siren wailed louder. A vehicle flashed by.

The sound jogged something in the back of his mind. Flames seemed to lick the back of his mind, people's screams more like whispers, but he vaguely recalled the blaring sirens and people hovering over him.

The world seemed to shift and rock. Pain shot through his head. A voice hissed through his ear, _You._

The world stabilized a split second later, but something cold ran down Shirou's back and the hairs lifted on his arms.

The man glanced their way.

Shirou gasped, "Sora."

"Hmm?"

"Sora. My dad, he's—the park." He flashed wide eyes towards the man. "We need to go there right now!"

Rin said, "Th-that might not have been for him. I'm sure he's fine, if he's a magus, too."

Shirou kept wide eyes on the man before him. He fumbled to activate his magic, trying to touch the man's heart and gauge how to approach convincing him, but the magic went wild, distorted by his own panic and this underlying, horrible sense of _not again_.

The man jerked and fixed him with a surprised look. His expression hardened. "Go on ahead. We'll catch up."

Shirou nodded. He balled his fists and hurried past them.

He sprinted down the street. He swallowed, his chest tightening. _Sora's fine. It's probably nothing._ Sweat ran down his back and stuck to his shirt. _He can fight whatever it is._

But he recalled his master's episode in Olympus Coliseum.

He moved faster.

When he reached the park, a small crowd had gathered. They seemed uneasy, standing in a lose semi-circle around a prone form. White-clad individuals huddled around the body. Some people lifted it and pulled it into a white vehicle with red flashing lights.

Shirou stopped. He didn't need to get close to know who it was. He didn't want to get closer, because then maybe he could pretend it wasn't real.

He thought he'd feel more—that he'd be sad or horrified or that he'd weep or scream or beg to see the body like some kids did. But a numbness settled over his heart and the curse licked at his feet. He sank to the ground and draped his arms over his knees.

The vehicle started. The siren wailed.

Footsteps approached him. They stopped with a crunch. "Was that your father?"

Shirou nodded.

"Do you want to go to the hospital after them? He must still be alive if they're speeding away."

Shirou jerked. He hesitated, then nodded.

The man helped Shirou to his feet. "Alright. Rin and Illya are waiting for us. Let's get going."

 **-Shirou** sat in a waiting room chair. Rin and Illya sat a short distance away, talking about something like 'magus families' and 'magecraft,' but he'd mostly tuned them out.

Maybe he should have never suggested coming back here. Maybe it would've been better to just deal with his problems differently. Maybe this was his punishment for acting selfishly. Sora was hurt, and he hadn't done anything again.

He traced a circle in his palm. He paused and pressed a fingernail into the skin.

He hadn't noticed the girls beside him had grown quiet until Rin broke the silence. "Hey," she said, her voice both too-loud and too-quiet, "I'm sorry about your dad."

Shirou nodded. His finger pressed harder.

"I'm adopted, too. My dad died a few years ago, and my mom," her voice caught. "The McKenzies are really nice, but they're more like grandparents, and they can't replace my real mother and father. I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone you actually got to view as a second parent."

The fingernail broke skin, and a few tiny pinpricks of crimson slipped over the surface. He pulled it away. His voice escaped as a hoarse whisper. "It's my fault."

"Huh?"

He lifted his voice, and it came out steadier. "It's my fault."

"Hold on. How is it your fault? It's not like _you_ brought those things here."

"I should've been there. I should've done something."

"Yeah, well, we had to get away from those stupid cats before we could do anything. We couldn't help if we were dead. Besides, we struggled with small ones. If you were there, you'd probably just get killed."

"But maybe I could've—"

"Stop it. You're being ridiculous." She fixed him with a stern look, but something like an old wound glimmered in the back of her eyes. "It's happened. It's not going to change. You're just a kid, anyways. I don't care if you _do_ have a magic sword, you aren't much better than a novice mage, so you wouldn't have made a dent in something that could take out an expert." She looked away, and added more quietly, "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself, anyway."

Shirou wondered if it was a side effect of specializing in heart magic that helped him realize Rin's words were at least in part from experience and directed at herself. He wondered how many times she'd told herself the same thing.

They had very different ways of coping with their demons.

Illya snickered. "Wow. You're really mean, lady."

"Quiet, you! I'm just being honest."

Whatever her reasons, Shirou knew something of what Rin said was true—Sora would be horrified if he knew he blamed himself. And logically, he knew he couldn't have helped much, despite the quiet voice in the back of his mind saying he still should've tried.

Shirou stared at the small mark in his palm and slowly pressed his thumb against it.

Footsteps approached, and Shirou jerked to attention when Illya's father neared. "He's fine. Something knocked him unconscious, but there's no concussion or lasting damage. A few minor wounds at most. He'll probably be released within a few days."

Shirou nodded, but the tightness in his chest didn't ease much.

The man knelt. "You're one of the orphans from the fire, aren't you?"

Shirou started. "How did you know that?"

"Well, I recognized the man. He adopted you, right? But," he paused, looking suddenly more serious, "something also happened with you, in the alleyway. All of a sudden I felt this desperation, for lack of a better term, and knew it wasn't coming from me. I caught the impression of fire with it."

Shirou swallowed.

"I only talked to your father briefly the last time we met, and most of the experience is hazy. However, I do remember he did _something_ to me that allowed me to survive the curse of the Holy Grail."

"Holy Grail?" Shirou and Rin echoed.

Rin leaned closer. "You were a participant in the last Grail War? Did you know my father?"

The man glanced towards Rin, then sighed. "You're the young Tohsaka heir, correct? Yes, I participated. My name is Kiritsugu Emiya. I was the representative for the Einzberns."

Rin mouthed the words, then pressed, "But, the Einzberns got a new family head, after most," she paused, her words escaping slower, "were wiped out."

Kiritsugu gave her a hard look, then sighed. "I can see I'll have a lot of my own explaining to do. But for now," he turned towards Shirou, "I want to know what's going on. You didn't stay here after the fire, did you?"

Shirou shook his head.

"So why did you come back now?"

Shirou hesitated. He glanced at his clasped hands. "Closure."

"Hm?"

"I wanted to get rid of the bad memories from the fire."

A heavy silence hung over the group.

Kiritsugu cleared his throat. "Your father saved my life after the fire, too."

He shot him a surprised look.

"I was very broken after the events of the Grail War. He used some sort of magecraft to help heal me, and I vaguely remember some sort of key-like weapon, a little bit like the one you wielded."

Shirou blinked, then looked away. "I'm also his apprentice."

"I see." Kiritsugu rocked back. "You know, I never got the chance to properly thank him. Moreover, there's someone who's been looking for him."

"Huh?"

"I'm really going to need to speak to your father when he wakes up. I need a few more answers."

Shirou nodded, his throat dry.

Kiritsugu settled into a chair beside him.

Shirou fidgeted a bit, then turned his focus to the door, clasped his hands, and waited.

* * *

 _So there are some parts of this chapter I like, and some I…don't so much. But I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts on it? Anyway, review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Was Archer here as a Counter Gaurdian with the benefits of being a Servant?_ – More or less; it's why Alaya still basically had control over him until the end. _Still I am surprised Gaia didn't take notice of this and intervene, but perhaps that is yet to be seen._ – Gaia isn't as concerned with what Alaya believes is the correct path to take when dealing with humans; in fact, in some ways she's actually on Alaya's side, as the Heartless bring significant danger to the worlds they end up on, though she's also significantly less concerned about the Keybladers. (As they _do_ still destroy those Heartless.)

 **DPSS:** _EMIYA would have totally owned Sora if he had used his more powerful NP….Then again, the question was never if Sora could beat EMIYA but if Sora could survive him._ – EMIYA certainly could've given him a harder time in some cases, but yeah, Sora's basic concern was getting through to and stopping him, not necessarily defeating him.

 **reality deviant:** _it well shows the difference between a Servant and a Keyblade Master_ – It certainly does.

 **KHbelievers20:** _Sora can use drive forms without party members though. As shown when he first used it in Yen Sid's Castle. Drive Orbs can also be used for Sora to use his Drive Forms. He doesn't need party members._ – I'd forgotten about Yen Sid's castle, actually! Still, I'm running on the idea that Drive forms should at least draw on strength from friends nearby, and that's…kind of what I'll be sticking with for this fic.

 **Parks98:** _Well that was completely badass. Sora did pretty good against CG Emiya though both of them were never to serious._ – Thanks, and indeed he did!

 **RedRat8:** _Wow this is getting serious hang in there Sora! I believe in the Sora that believes in you as much as you believe in the Sora that believes in you as well!_ – Haha, yep! Sora's been put into quite a difficult situation, to be frank, but hey, at least people have his back, right?

 **ultima-owner:** _If Sora can "steal" EMIYA from the world's devil deal then EMIYA will thank him a lot._ – Well, he can't exactly 'steal' EMIYA, but he can certainly _reach_ him a bit easier than most people can.

 **Initiumi:** _Sora freed(?) CG!Shirou! But is this the original version or just a copy? And more importantly, can Sora and Damocles!Shirou keep him?_ – Well, he didn't exactly 'free' him; more like 'temporarily broke through the control until Alaya stole him back.' This _is_ one of the copies that Alaya sent, not the original, and unfortunately, EMIYA's not able to be on their side…yet, anyways. (Although, it would be hilarious to see the other Keybladers' reactions.) _I love how you handled the characters during the fight. And I can't help but kinda hate Alaya, you know, for being huge dick in this chapter._ – Thank you! I'm glad you liked that. As for Alaya…yep. She does have actual reasons to want this particular Shirou gone, but that doesn't make her request any better. She has also managed to simultaneously anger and terrify a powerful Keyblade Master…

 **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros:** _Not evil then, It just has a very sick and infected heart._ – Yeah, that's pretty accurate.

 **A.K.J.19:** _Connecting to EMIYA's heart? Man the only thing I can think is worse would be connecting to Zouken's or Sakura's, speaking of which what would happen if Shirou or Sora were to connect to her heart. By that I mean what type of consequences would it have bot both them and Sakura. Connecting to Kirei's heart?_ – To be fair, Sora really didn't get to connect for very long, though he got enough to be…concerned. More on that next chapter. With Zouken, Sora would basically use Purge on him. Like, immediately. Sakura would leave Sora horrified and Shirou crying for some reason he couldn't explain. They'd both try to comfort her, though, and Sora might use heart magic to pass along good feelings. Kirei is…an interesting beast, and that's all I can really say on that matter.

 **Question:** _Is it me or does Aburg76 when he reviews usually seem to be waiting for the chapter to be updated._ – All things considered, I don't really think it's that strange. I know that when I follow things I personally enjoy, and have a general idea of when they update, I try to check a lot around that time because I'm excited for the next installment. I imagine it's probably the same thing here, and they just decide to review when they're done reading, which I appreciate. I'd also appreciate that if you're going to mention reviewers, though, you specifically mention something you noticed in a review/review response in order to build on it, as a review that's composed of this sort of question doesn't really pertain to the chapter or the story.

 **Andaeus:** _You've done a great job of showing how Sora and Shirou force each other to grow bit by bit._ – Thank you! It's always been their story to share, so I wanted to be able to show that dynamic from the beginning. I'm glad you think it's been handled well! _This chapter especially has by far your best fight scene so far. The flow of battle has always seemed like something of a challenge for you in this story, if you don't mind me saying, but this chapter showed some definite improvement._ – Thanks! Haha, nope, totally know what you mean. I used to write a lot of fight scenes—my earlier works are filled with them—and I got really burnt out after writing so many, and that hasn't really seemed to go away much. Whenever I get to a fight scene, I'm always a little bit like, 'I want to get back to the story, not write more of these things.' This one I was more excited for because of the emotional intensity and overall impact on the story, though, so it went easier. I'm…not entirely sure the fight scenes in this chapter are up to snuff, though.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Did Sora just fight EMIYA, partially purge some of the World's corruption, snap EMIYA out, and survive?! (Also, Alaya is an ass who doesn't really know who she's attempting to kill, that she's being manipulated, and does NOT CARE ABOUT THE STATE OF HER HUMANS Hearts.)_ – Yes, not exactly (he mostly just used it to distract Alaya enough to break through her hold on EMIYA), yes, and yes! And…can't really argue with any of those accusations.

 **Server lock:** _Sora is stronger than Emiya normally, but their skills are suited for different things._ – Sora isn't _physically_ stronger than EMIYA when he's at his peak, if that's what you meant. But you're definitely right about their skills being meant for different things! I didn't copy the rest of your review for space reasons, but you have a lot of good points in it!

 **Guest:** _Drive forms aren't available without party members. With one exception. Limit Form OP, never nerf._ – …I think that's what I said at the bottom of the last chapter? Ah, I've never played KHII Final Mix, so I haven't gotten to experience Limit Form first hand, but I've heard it's pretty cool.

 **ranchboy1:** _With Shirou's whole specialty being heart magic and the way you've described heart magic and the good luck charms Kairi will Shirou be learning to use D-Links?_ – Possibly. You will want to keep the good luck charm in mind, though its purpose actually wasn't to create a d-link. _Also I do get why you had the Kirei fight the way you did and I agree with most of your reasoning especially if you consider that he's holding back for the sake of the kids but for level of strength you should really take into consideration the end of kingdom hearts 2 where he's very easily and on his own pulling off servant level feats like repeatedly cutting in half buildings and taking out the deathstar xemnas built and the dome of death by blaster bolts he and Riku survived._ – I did kind of think about that, but I was still worried about keeping the balance of 'powerful but still human' and trying to figure out where that would fit in the Nasuverse power scale. (Also, thank you for the comment at the end of your review!)

 _So, thoughts on the chapter? I love reviews, so please feel free to drop one and let me know!_


	38. The Graveyard

_Here's chapter thirty – eight. Thank you Aburg76, ranchboy1, Neo-Devil, bowser3000000, ultima-owner, Parks98, UNKNOWNGPX, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty – Eight: The Graveyard**

White light filtered into Sora's vision. He blinked, and the image blurred, then gradually focused. A curtain hung to his side. A sheet settled over his chest. Everything throbbed. He rested a hand to his head and groaned. _Where am I?_

Static flickered through his mind, of a man in red and a desolated park.

"Shirou!" He jerked upright, then grimaced, settling back onto his elbows. His vision flickered briefly, and he waited for his spinning head to clear.

Footsteps tapped towards him. A nurse appeared, holding a clipboard. "Sora? Is everything alright?"

He blinked at the man. "Y-yeah."

"Good. We weren't sure how soon you'd wake up." He checked a monitor nearby. "How are you feeling?"

"A little dizzy and sore. But mostly fine."

The nurse pursed his lips. "You didn't have a concussion, but it might be good to keep you a while, just to check and make sure everything's alright. The doctor will be in soon."

"I can't stay here. I need to find my so—" He stopped, the word still sounding too foreign. "My apprentice. I don't know where he is."

"There are some people in the waiting room concerned about you. I was beginning to grow concerned I'd have to usher them out."

"People?" Sora straightened. "Can I see them?"

"If you're feeling up to it, I suppose. But not for long." The nurse left.

Sora sank back. He stared at the ceiling, his mind whirling, his thoughts filled with the voice of a strange world and the image of a red-cloaked, white-haired version of his apprentice. The images of the two morphed and switched in his mind. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and scrubbed them. Fear and uncertainty tingled through his chest and throat.

 _"You know the consequences of passing on a Keyblade to one who should not obtain one."_

He took a shuddering breath.

Several footsteps tapped towards him.

He jerked upright, wincing, but braced himself.

Shirou appeared first, still red-haired, staring wide-eyed.

The two maintained eye contact a few moments. Sora released a shaky sigh. "You're alright."

Shirou jerked. He gave Sora a questioning look.

Sora swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and he tried to figure out how to form the words he wanted to say.

Several more figures appeared around the corner—two children, one looking to be Shirou's age, one looking slight younger, and a vaguely familiar man. Sora squinted, searching the man's face.

He dipped his head. "You may not remember me. My name is Kiritsugu Emiya. You helped rid me of a curse." He touched his chest.

Sora's eyes widened. "Oh. Hey."

"This is my daughter, Illya." The white-haired girl curtsied. "And this is—"

"I'm Rin." She gave Sora a searching look. "And I have a lot of questions for you."

Sora lifted his hands. "Easy."

"Rin," Kiritsugu admonished, "let the man rest." He glanced towards Sora. "Shirou can stay with us until you're released, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Shirou flashed him a look.

Sora didn't have the energy to activate heart magic, so instead he said, "Hey, don't worry. I'll be out of here in no time." He paused, then beckoned Shirou closer. "If you hear anything, though—anything like what we heard when we got here—I need you to come find me immediately, alright?"

Shirou nodded. Something flickered in his expression, but he schooled his features. "I'm sorry."

"Hmm?" Sora shook his head and laid a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "Don't be. This wasn't your fault."

Shirou didn't look like he believed him.

"Hey." Sora ignored his protesting body and forced himself from the hospital bed, ignoring Rin's and Illya's surprise. He met Shirou's eyes. "None of this is your doing." The image of the other Shirou flickered in his mind, and he hid his wince. His grip on Shirou's shoulders tightened and his voice lowered. "Shirou. I want you to remember that your life has value, in and of itself, and that there are a lot of other people who feel the same, okay?"

Shirou jerked, fixing him with a confused expression. "Okay?"

"Just remember that, in the future. Please. There is nothing more important I'm ever going to ask of you."

Shirou searched his eyes. Magic probed Sora's heart, and he let it, to an extent. Shirou took an uncertain step backwards.

Sora closed the connection and forced a crooked smile. "Things'll be alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

Shirou nodded, and allowed Kiritsugu to guide him away.

The man paused a moment. He cast a glance towards Sora, something reflected in his eyes, then moved away.

Once he was sure they'd gone, he allowed his smile to fall. He slumped. _What do I do now? How do I explain any of this to him?_ He placed a hand on his head. _I have tonight. I can try and figure something out._ His arms shook, and he swallowed, trying to steel himself for the upcoming days.

 **-Shirou** trailed behind the trio, hands shoved into his pockets.

Rin said, "I _can't_. You said something about the Holy Grail War! You promised to explain."

Kiritsugu sighed. "Your guardians must be worried. It's already growing dark. I can't justify taking you with me."

"I can call them from your house."

Kiritsugu sighed in defeat.

Shirou reached a hand to pull out Kairi's charm. He thumbed the stained-glass surface, and a part of him thought back to his Awakening and the brilliant stained-glass surface.

"That's pretty."

Shirou jumped.

Illya had slowed a little, eyeing the star-shaped charm.

Shirou clasped it a little tighter. "A friend gave it to me."

"Oh?"

"I-it's supposed to be a good luck charm."

Kiritsugu glanced back towards them. "Why don't you tell us a little more, Shirou? About where you and your father have been since the fire."

He recognized the attempt to distract him, but welcomed it nonetheless. He spoke, quietly, about the places he and Sora had gone, careful to omit some of the more fantastical bits. He talked about training, and searching for pirates—he received a strange look from Rin at that point—and about learning how to cook. He talked about meeting Kairi and Roxas and Donald and Goofy, though he hesitated over some of the details, unsure of how his audience would handle them. He talked about his own selfish wish to return. He talked until his throat grew sore and he no longer knew what to say.

Rin snorted. "I think that's the longest I've heard you talk at once."

Shirou shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"You should smile more. You don't have to be so serious all the time."

He blinked and made a face at her.

Kiritsugu stopped and unlocked a gate. He pushed it open and gestured.

The children followed. Rin stopped and glanced about.

Illya smirked at her. "You like the bounded field?"

"It's really open."

"That's because we're not as stuck up as you are."

Rin flashed her an agitated look.

Kiritsugu sighed. "Illya."

Illya turned and hurried to the house. "I'll find something to cook in the fridge!"

The house was relatively big, with long halls and plenty of rooms. Kiritsugu showed Shirou to one. "If you want, you can explore the room."

Shirou blinked, glancing around.

Kiritsugu turned and called, "Rin! You'll need to call your guardians."

"Where's your phone?"

Kiritsugu left.

Shirou stepped into the room and glanced about. Very little decorated it; a small desk with a lamp sat near the wall, and something Kiritsugu called a 'futon' lay stretched against one side. A sliding wall separated a second room to the right. Shirou hesitated and, unsure what to do, eventually left the room.

He found Illya in the kitchen searching the fridge. "Do you need help?"

She shook her head. "What do you think is better?" She pulled out two packaged meals and showed them to him.

He frowned. "I could make something."

"You're our guest. Daddy says guests shouldn't cook."

"It's fine. It's something I started doing with Sora." He stopped, throat tightening slightly. "It'll be distracting."

Illya glanced skeptically at the fridge. "If you want to, fine. But I don't think we have much in the fridge."

Shirou nodded, and, after examining the fridge's contents, eventually pulled out some eggs. He'd figure out a way to make do.

 **-The** small group sat silently around the table. The eggs were mostly gone; Shirou still absently picked at his.

Rin cleared her throat. "So." She turned to Kiritsugu. "You were in the Holy Grail War."

Kiritsugu sighed and bowed his head. "I was master of Saber in the last Grail War. I battled Kirei Kotomine for the Holy Grail, and won."

Shirou recalled what Rin had said about the 'fake priest,' and shuddered at the memories of just after the fire.

Rin's fists curled, but she otherwise gave no outward reaction. "Did you get your wish, then?"

"My wish is impossible."

Shirou flashed them a confused look.

Kiritsugu glanced towards him. "I suppose you don't know anything about this, do you?" He paused and cupped his chin. "The Holy Grail War is a battle between seven magi, like Rin and myself. These 'Masters' summon seven 'Servants,' legendary figures who are gifted powers beyond what's human, to fight for a wish-granting device called the Holy Grail. Only one Master and Servant pair can obtain the Holy Grail and have their wishes granted." He released a heavy sigh. "Except, as it turns out, that was a lie from the beginning.

"The Grail is corrupt. It will twist whatever wish you have. Nothing good can come from the device."

Rin exclaimed, "What?"  
Kiritsugu nodded.

She shook her head. "That's wrong. It has to be."

"The Grail is the reason the fire broke out almost four years ago now."

Rin stiffened. She looked away, eyelids lowering, chin cupped in thought.

Shirou's limbs froze and his fingers curled into his pant legs. Flames rose around him and licked the table. "So I—my parents— _everyone_ died in that fire because—?"

Kiritsugu nodded. "It was cursed. That's why it was so difficult to put out, and why the park still feels so ominous now."

Shirou swallowed.

"I was originally affected by that curse, and was," he paused and grimaced, "not well, knowing I had been the cause of such destruction. Then Sora came along." He nodded at Shirou. "His magecraft removed most of the curse from me, though I'm not sure how." A question lingered in his eyes.

"Purge. It's supposed to remove corruption from someone's heart."

Kiritsugu nodded. "I didn't really heal until I was able to rescue Illya, however." He pulled his daughter closer, and for the first time Shirou noticed she'd been incredibly quiet and still.

Rin echoed, "Rescue?"

"Acht was preventing me from returning to her. When I was strong enough, I was able to form a plan with one of the Einzbern's exiles. She would help me save Illya, in exchange for her becoming the new family head."

Rin's eyes widened.

Kiritsugu sighed, sinking back. "Well. That's the basics, anyways."

After a few moments, Rin ventured quietly, "What happened to my father? I know he was killed, but do you know how? We never learned."

Kiritsugu was silent several moments before answering. "Kotomine killed him."

Rin's eyes flashed. Her expression contorted a moment, then fell. She looked down, shaking.

Silence prevailed. Shirou tapped into his heart magic, reaching towards the hearts nearby. Illya was morose, and tired, but little more; Kiritsugu's feelings were numbed, like he'd had a long time to figure out how to handle these sort of tragedies and had found a way that they no longer affected him; Rin's anger and sadness and confusion bled through her walls, despite her own attempts to reign her feelings in.

Shirou found himself uncertain what to say. He stood. "Thank you," he told Kiritsugu finally, then left.

He found himself sitting outside. He lifted Kairi's charm and stared at it. _What's the point of learning heart magic if I still can't help anyone with it?_ He traced the charm's surface. _I thought I was getting better at this. Maybe I was wrong._

He glanced toward the stars. He remembered that Sora told him, once, that the stars were supposed to represent the many different worlds that filled their universe, all connect by one great big sky. He held the charm up against the starry backdrop. His thumb and index finger pressed tighter against it.

Something steeled inside him. He lowered the charm and slipped it back into his shirt. _I wanted to move forward, so I'm not going to let this hold me back._ He curled a shaking hand against his chest.

He stayed out there until the rising sun woke him.

 **-Sora** flashed Shirou a grin. "Hey. You ready?"

The boy nodded. His heart fluctuated with a more steady determination, and Sora decided that was definitely an improvement.

Kiritsugu gripped his arm. "I need to talk to you about something." He flashed a glance towards Shirou and Illya.

Sora followed his gaze, then nodded, and allowed himself to be steered away. "What's up?"

"There's someone that's searching for a man matching your description."

 _"There is a man out there who would very much like to see you dead."_

"He said a man with a giant key might appear, and to keep an eye out for him. I'm supposed to tell him about your arrival."

Sora pursed his lips. "You work for him?"

"I'm in his debt."

"But you don't trust him."

Kiritsugu grinned mirthlessly. "I've dealt with enough people of his type."

"Can you describe him?"

"He's always cloaked. Slight build. Deep masculine voice that almost breaks on occasion. Frequently manages to appear and disappear without aid. Generally talks very cryptically."

Sora nodded. He considered the information, then said, "Thanks. We'll be leaving for now, but I'll keep an eye open."

Kiritsugu nodded.

The two returned to the children in time to hear Illya make Shirou promise to visit. He flashed Sora an uncertain look.

Sora gave him a crooked smile. "Let's get going."

Shirou waved, and the two walked down the streets. Sora shoved a hand into his pocket and fingered the two charms Kairi had given him. He swallowed.

"Sora," Shirou began carefully, sticking closer when someone came too near, hand half-extended, "why is the world angry?"

Sora's throat went dry. "I'm going to find out." He kept his gaze fixed resolutely ahead.

"But we're leaving the world."

He nodded. "Trust me on this one, okay?" He paused. "Are you going to miss it? This world, I mean."

"No." His voice turned bitter. "It mostly just holds bad memories."

Sora flinched. "H-hey. Not all of them are bad. There's Kiritsugu and Illya, right? And Rin. They were nice."

Shirou was silent a long time. Finally he answered, "Yeah."

Sora released a shaky sigh. "I'm sorry."

Shirou whipped towards him with wide eyes.

He didn't explain, and they finished their walk to the Gummi ship in silence. Sora started the ship and took off. The atmosphere shifted, colors and images flying past, the ship rocking, and they left the world behind.

He steered in silence for several moments. Finally he opened the communication channels. "Aqua? Can you hear me?"

The communicator crackled a moment. "Sora? Is that you?"

"Yeah. It's been a while, right?"

Silence stretched for several long moments. "So why are you contacting us now? What happened?"

"I need to talk to that world you found. The other sentient world."

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with that."

"Something came up. I'll explain later, but right now I need to check something. Please."

For a few moments he thought Aqua wouldn't respond. Finally she said, "Meet me at the Keyblade Graveyard. We'll go from there."

 **-It'd** been a long time since Sora had last stepped foot in the Keyblade Graveyard. The Keyblades stuck in the ground like graves. The world's dead heart hardly stirred. He thought he could still hear Xehanort's gloating and see darkness clouding the air. Back when things had been at their most hopeless, but also when there was so much promise for the future.

Things seemed so much more complicated now.

Shirou glanced about.

Sora asked, "Recognize this place?"

Shirou shook his head.

Sora's shoulders fell.

"Why are there Keyblades here? Shouldn't they be with their owners?"

"When a Keyblader dies, their Keyblade stays behind."

"Why?"

"It might be because their body doesn't." Sora shrugged. "I'm not sure. Aqua knows a lot more about this sort of thing than I do." Something flashed on the horizon. "And speaking of, here she comes."

Aqua's glider neared them. She leapt free when she reached the ground, glider transforming back into Rainfell. Her armor disappeared.

Shirou jumped.

Aqua flashed him a brief smile, then glanced about, something haunted flitting over her eyes. She shook her head and focused on Sora. "The world's nearby. I wanted to talk to you before we arrive."

"Right."

She gestured towards the Gummi ship. The three entered. Sora started the ship, and they lifted, heading away from the dead world.

Aqua guided them, pointing through the Gummi ship's window. "When you connect to the world's heart, I want you to let me know. Ask it why a world might actively close itself off to others."

Sora pursed his lips and said nothing.

The world quickly came into view. They landed. Large trees and excessive foliage rose around them. A colorful bird streaked overhead, screeching. Sunlight slanted through the trees, but most of the ground was covered in deep green shadow.

Sora took a few steps away from Aqua and Shirou. Dirt rose around his shoes. He paused, glancing at the ground, then knelt and placed a hand against the ground. He closed his eyes and tapped into his heart magic.

Something thrummed beneath his fingertips. A string of light lanced through the earth towards a warm, beating heart deep within the world's core. The typical images and sensations fluttered around the edges, but something more aware fluctuated; a mind, curious, cautious.

 _Why have you come here?_

He whispered, "I've reached her."

 _Your friend has been here many times. But this is the first time she has proven to bring something interesting._ A pause. _Who are you?_

 _My name is Sora. I am a Keyblade Wielder. What's your name?_

 _You hardly contacted me to exchange pleasantries. But I was once known as Alethea, back when your order still roamed the worlds in greater numbers._

 _Thank you._

 _You are a peculiar Keybearer. I have not met one who'd earned your skill in a very long time._

 _I understand._

 _You have something you want._

 _Answers, if you're willing to give them. I met another world like you—whose consciousness was more than just memories and sensations._

 _I had believed most worlds like me. How curious._

 _Alethea,_ he paused, acutely aware of the two figures behind him, _what would make a world angry?_

 _There are many possibilities. You will have to be more specific. I assume you refer to the world that is 'like me'?"_

 _Yeah. What would,_ he paused and licked his lips, _what would make a world so angry it would close itself off from someone like me? And then actively attack the same person, years later._

Alethea didn't answer for a long moment. _I feel something in your heart. You already know an answer, don't you? You are simply refusing to admit it._

 _Please._

 _I am sure my answers will be no comfort to you._ A pause. _Very well. I am sure by this point not all worlds are friendly towards Keybearers. We have much longer memories than you. Your kind can bring destruction as easily as you can bring salvation. If a world were to be like myself, then they might very well come to the decision that Keybearers are not as efficient of protectors as they could be. The dislike may be amplified if a Keybearer has done something to break the world's trust, like stealing memories or actively bringing destruction, or perhaps because of a perceived insult._

Sora's fingers curled into the dirt. _And—and if something_ did _happen, is there any way to appease the world without causing damage to the ones you may have affected?_

The world didn't answer at first, her emotions clouded as she searched for something. She seemed to come to a conclusion, the surprise radiating from her core. _You have certainly gotten yourself into a mess, haven't you?_

 _It's not his fault!_

 _I never said it was. But, unfortunately, there is little I can offer you. Worlds a very rarely open to negotiation, especially if the translator is the one who has offended them. If you do not give in to this other world's demands, the road to regain her trust will be long and hard. I cannot imagine it ending well for either side._

 _It has to._

 _If you are determined to continue this path, then there is no longer any point to us speaking. I wish you well, Keybearer._ The world released the connection.

Sora sank back. His hands curled into fists against his knees.

"Sora?" Aqua asked.

"Let's go back to the Land of Departure. We have a lot to talk about."

 **-Despite** how long it'd been since Shirou had been in the Land of Departure, it seemed much the same as in his memories. Long stretches of greenery lined the cobblestone pathways and golden chains draping the castle glinted in the sunlight. The trio moved in heavy silence into the castle.

Sora hadn't spoken much since leaving the other 'sentient world.' Shirou attempted to reach his mentor's heart several times, but was blocked. It worried him, but Sora flashed him a smile and told him he was fine.

He wasn't sure he believed him.

Someone gasped. "Shirou?" Emi stood in the corridor, with Riku just behind her.

Riku folded his arms. "You're back."

Sora nodded. "Yeah.

Aqua said, "Riku, I'll need you and Lea to come with me and Sora. Some things have come up we need to discuss. Emi, can you keep the apprentices under control?"

Emi straightened. "Um, yes. Yes, ma'am!"

"Good." She turned towards Shirou. "Go with Emi. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do." She led Sora and Riku away.

Emi and Shirou stood awkwardly in the hallway. Emi lifted a hand. "So, um, hi again."

"Hi."

Emi worried her lip, then turned. "Rai and Melody are probably in the training fields. Let's go there."

Shirou followed silently.

Emi asked after a moment, "How've you been?"

"Fine. Sora and I've been doing a lot of training."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah."

Silence fell again. Emi glanced back towards him, uncertainty shining in her eyes.

Shirou activated his heart magic. Uncertainty flickered through Emi's heart, followed by surprise. "You've gotten better at heart magic."

"Yeah." He paused, considering his words. "I didn't change that much."

"I don't know." The uncertainty began fading. "You seem a little less zombie-like."

"Zombie?" He frowned. "I wasn't like a zombie."

Emi giggled. "A Nobody, then."

"Well—you've changed, too. You're not as nervous."

She shifted and tugged her sleeve. "I just hide it better now." But the uncertainty had eased.

They reached the training fields. Melody was already hurrying towards them. "Hey! Lea left suddenly and he said he had an important meeting to go to and—Shirou! When I saw Sora, I guess you'd be back."

Rai trailed behind her. "Lea told us to _keep training_ , you know."

"Lea's not here now. Besides, we haven't seen Shirou in forever. We have time to catch up."

Rai rolled his eyes.

Emi sighed. "If Lea said you guys should train, then you should probably keep training."

"Emi! You want to hear as much as we do."

Rai interrupted, " _You_ do."

Shirou glanced at her, then at the other two apprentices, and suggested, "Maybe we could train together. We could find out what everyone else learned and still do what Lea wanted."

Emi flashed him a grateful look.

Melody huffed. "Fine. I'm out-voted." A wicked grin split her face. "But that means I get to be the first to beat you up."

"Um." He glanced helplessly at Rai and Emi.

Rai offered, "Good luck."

Shirou relented and allowed himself to be tugged into the training field, but it took him a moment to realize that the tension weighing on his shoulders had slowly slipped away.

 **-Aqua** surveyed the three other Keyblade wielders in the room. Lea stood slightly off the one side, arms folded, but otherwise at ease, casting looks between Aqua, Sora, and Riku. Riku hovered near Aqua, his shoulders stiff, face impassive. Sora stood directly in front of Aqua, but his gaze was lowered, his fists clenched.

Aqua cleared her throat and tried to relax against the desk. "Sora agreed to return and speak with the world the Puppet Master told us about."

Riku cast Sora a surprised glance, then Aqua a curious one: _did you tell him about the deal?_

She shook her head slightly. "We've already stopped on the world, and Sora has spoken to it. He said he'd explain everything upon returning." She fixed Sora with an expectant look.

Sora remained quiet a few moments. "This is about more than just what Alethea said."

"Alethea?" Lea asked. "What, is that what the world's called?"

Aqua stood straighter.

Sora nodded. "The world—Shirou's world—is angry." He finally lifted his gaze. "And I'm not sure how to fix it."

Aqua searched his gaze. "That's why you wanted to talk to this other world. You stopped on his home world, didn't you?"

"Yeah." His voice hardened. "She doesn't like Keybladers. She sent one of her personal warriors to attack me."

Lea snorted. "Man. Why's the world got it out for _you_?"

Aqua asked, "There's something you're not telling us, isn't there?"

He met her gaze. "Someone else has been in contact with the world. He asked the world to kill me in exchange for help."

Riku asked, "Do you know who it is?"

"No, but I think he's been in contact with other members of the world, as well. A man named Kiritsugu gave me a description: slight, cloaked, deep voice."

Lea said, "Well, we only know of three people in recent history who can talk to worlds: you, Xehanort, and the Puppet Master. It's obviously not you, Xehanort's dead, and the Puppet Master's locked in the Realm of Sleep."

Aqua cupped her chin. "That doesn't mean it couldn't be a memory of Xehanort still running about." _Or the Puppet Master's been slipping things past me._ "Did 'Alethea' tell you anything about mending relations with Shirou's world?"

"No. The only options she gave were to either meet the world's demands, or try to slowly regain her trust."

"What were the world's demands?"

"Too high to pay."

"Sora."

"I'm being serious. We shouldn't step foot on Shirou's world for a while—she _really_ doesn't like Keybladers."

"But we need to find out who's been in contact with her and why."

"Exactly."

Aqua sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Without being able to visit the world, this is going to create much bigger complications."

Sora looked like he wanted to say something, then snapped his mouth shut.

"We'll try to keep the world under observation. We know where the Puppet Master is, so we can interrogate him. As for memories, we'll just have to keep an ear open."

Riku said, "Emi and I can check worlds when we go on missions."

Lea added, "Same with me, Melody, and Rai. If I can keep those two focused, anyways."

Aqua nodded. She fixed Sora with a questioning glance.

He seemed resigned. "We'll be staying here a while. I think Shirou needs some stability right now, and I should help out as much as I can. This _is_ my fault, after all."

She wanted to question what he meant, but decided now was not the time nor place. "Very well. We'll meet again later to try and organize a more coherent plan. For now, Sora, you should get Shirou settled. Riku, you can show them to their quarters."

Riku nodded. His expression finally relaxed. "Come on. I'm sure our apprentices have their hands full."

Faint relief crossed Sora's face, and the two left.

Lea asked, "So, what am I doing?"

"You're going to watch the world from a distance."

"Recon duty, huh?"

"We'll rotate, don't worry. But right now, I just want to get some outside observations. We'll see what we can do from there."

 **-Riku** found Sora later, after the apprentices had been settled and the world had grown dark. He sat outside on a cliff's edge, staring skyward.

Riku approached him. "So what brought about the change of heart?"

"You heard what I said. Whatever this is, it involves me. I have to help fix it."

"And?"

Sora shook his head. "Reminded of some things."

Riku settled beside him, keenly reminded of the one member missing. It'd been a long time since all three had been together—perhaps, no that Sora was here for a while, they'd all be able to visit Radiant Garden.

If Sora wasn't still avoiding Kairi.

"Hey," Sora began, "you were always better at this philosophical stuff than I was, right?"

"I guess."

"So say you learned something about someone else—something really big, that brings a lot of things about who they are into question. What would you do?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

Riku pondered the question a long moment. "I guess that'd depend on the thing. Do they know?"

"No."

"Then you'll have to use your own judgment. But you're probably going to have to tell them the truth at some point."

Sora nodded.

Riku sighed. "Why do I feel like you just managed to trade one problem for another?"

Sora gave him a crooked smile. "Hey, nothing I can't handle, right? We'll get through it."

Riku eyed him. "Yeah."

The two lapsed into silence, and though Riku wished to break it—to quiz his friend on why he'd separated himself for so long, why he was still being evasive now—he kept quiet.

He didn't need heart magic to know this was a demon Sora would have to fight on his own.

* * *

 _And that's the end of this chapter! So this is a pretty big transition chapter. For one, there's a lot of setup for later developments; for another, this is the last chapter before our final time skip, which'll bring us pretty close to the Holy Grail War. Needless to say, I'm excited. Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Wow that went much better than I thought it would._ – Indeed.

 **ranchboy1:** _I'm a fairly long time reader (couple of years now) I loved your story over the keyblade war I just don't review very often but I always enjoy it._ – Oh, wow, I didn't realize that! Thank you!

 **Neo-Devil:** _I guess you could say that EMIYA could be considered Shirou's Nobody, like the fight Sora had with Roxas...the battle EMIYA had with Sora I honestly had "Other Promise" playing in the background. Did you do the same when you wrote this?_ – I'm not sure that'd be an exact comparison, but "The Other Promise" would be an interesting battle theme to use. I actually had "Master Tell me the Truth" and "Enter the Void" playing when I wrote the battle scene. _Will Sora/kairi still be a thing?..._ _The possibility of Sora and Shirou participating in the fifth grail war...or in this case, the keybladers' war against Angra Mainyu...will that be a thing?_ – For Sora/Kairi, you'll have to wait and see. But they'll definitely be active in the Grail War; I can't tell you what roles they'll play just yet, though.

 **bowser3000000:** _So this means that Sora will be knowing of Xehanort's meddling in this world?_ – Well, Sora knows of _someone_ meddling, at least.

 **ultima-owner:** _So the Magus Killer "cleaned house" when he save Illya._ – Well, to an extent. He took out Acht and the members that opposed him, but otherwise left the members alone.

 **Parks98:** _I wonder how Rin got to live with Glen and Martha?_ – That was, in part, Waver's doing, as he was still living with them at the time. When he discovered the Tohsaka heir needed a guardian, he suggested Glen and Martha taking her in. They were a _little_ more skeptical about officially adopting another child, but they agreed after meeting Rin and procuring her agreement, as well—as well as trying to do what they could to help her then-ailing mother. _So this is what I'm thinking is going on next chapter, Sora and Kiritsugu talk, Shirou talks with Rin and Illya, Shirou and Sora talk a little about the world THEN we find out what the hell happen to Kirei since he was supposed to be the parental Guardian of Rin but since she is living with Glen and Martha that means he isn't in the city which means GIL IS ON THE LOOSE!_ – Well…some of these things happened. What happened with Kirei and Gilgamesh won't be revealed until the Grail War rolls around…though to be fair, that's coming relatively soon.

 **UNKNOWNGPX:** _I would like to add on what ranchboy1 said in the last review concerning the buildings being sliced and how it may be possible that Sora can do that. If I recall correctly an earlier review of mine back around ch. 15 or so I mentioned how Flow-motion is used as Reinforcement or similar to it for the Kingdom Hearts series. Who is to to say that the ending battle(s) against Xenmas they didn't subconsciously use Flow-motion and learn how to really use it during KH3D. Doesn't mean that the Keybladers are inhumanly strong, just have a way to boost themselves beyond their limit. Also I believe the Keyblade plays an important part in the reinforcement due to the fact you always summon it out when Flow-motion is used even outside of battle._ – Yeah, I remember that. That's actually a really interesting point! I ended up posting the entire review mostly for that reason.

 **Joachim Armster:** _Hello, i haven't reviewed in the last three, but that is because i felt i was repeating myself a bit much (at least in the opening section) and i wanted to comment on how you dealt with the park scene in full before i commented._ – That's fine! I've mentioned before you aren't required to review, though I do appreciate it when I receive them. _I enjoyed everything from the lion fight with the introduction of our other pro/possible antagonists and i felt you captured kiritsugu's reactions fairly well. As for the fight scene itself between the CG and Sora i am somewhat surprised at how it went, but looking back on it i can't say you did anything wrong._ – Thanks, and I'm glad you thought the fight scene went well! I wondered if how well Sora did would surprise some people, considering who he was up against, but I really wanted to show off what Sora's capable of when he really goes all out. _I am kind of interested in the differences between damocles rin and fate rin given kotomine isn't her guardian._ – Haha, those differences will be cropping up soon enough.

 _Any comments on the chapter? Thoughts or theories? I'd love to know in a review!_


	39. Wonderland

_Here's chapter thirty – nine. Just a head's up for next week: I'm not going to have access to a computer when I normally update (I'll be out of town), so the new chapter will be up a day early._

 _Thank you phuxeds, Server lock, reality deviant, ultima-owner, RedRat8, UNKNOWNGPX, and EaterofWorlds20 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Thirty – Nine: Wonderland**

Shirou bit back a sigh.

Melody said, "We should've just given that queen what she asked for."

Rai sent her an agitated glance. "We can't just _beat up_ the monarch of a _world_."

"She was being a jerk!"

"Do you want to be captured every time we land here? Besides, she's _always_ a jerk."

Emi, up ahead, glanced from the paper briefly. "Can we focus, please?"

Melody scowled, but she and Rai quieted their bickering.

Shirou shook his head—almost seven years of working with them, and some things still didn't change. He hurried to catch up with Emi. "You're not going to find the boss Heartless if you keep looking at the paper."

The paper she held had an image of their target—a large, jester-like Heartless called the Trickmaster that appeared every now and again—and the instructions to stop it from causing trouble in Wonderland, and where it would likely be found.

Emi shook her head. "It wasn't in the Bizarre Room, though, and I haven't seen any sign of it." An undercurrent of worry belayed the other emotions flashing through her heart.

"We'll find it."

"You haven't noticed anything, have you?"

"Only the normal Heartless are around here. Nothing stronger."

Emi nodded and chewed her lip. "Rai," she called, "can you set some mines up around here?"

"Hmm? Sure, I guess, but they'll disappear when we leave the area."

"That's fine. I just want to have something ready, just in case."

Rai summoned his Keyblade—a short weapon with jewel-like spheres embedded in the blade and hilt, long metal rods for teeth, an arced handle, with a card on the keychain—and placed it to the ground. A few mines lit around the area, then faded.

Melody slipped around them. "So, where are we searching next?"

Emi said, "I thought maybe in the treetops. We haven't checked anything there yet."

Rai said, "I don't know. Something that big doesn't seem like it'd fit in the treetops."

Shirou touched his heart, and noticed uncertainty that they would ever find the Heartless weighing his skepticism. "It's as good a place to look as any. Wonderland's a weird place." He slid a glance towards Emi. "Maybe we should split up and cover more ground?"

Emi caught his look and nodded. "Right. You and Rai search around down here. Melody and I will look in the treetops." She shot a hesitant glance towards the other girl. "If that's okay?"

"Pfft, what're you asking me for? You're in charge this time." She moved. "Yeah, sounds good. Let's go." She leapt onto the branches, the faint sheen of magic around her feet.

"That means we're supposed to go together!" Emi hurried after her.

Shirou watched them go, then asked, "Where do you want to look?"

Rai glowered at him. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Reading my heart."

"I, um."

Rai's heart flickered with extra uncertainty and suspicion—he really had no proof that Shirou had been reading his heart at all.

Shirou sighed. "It's habit." He released the magic.

Rai snorted. "Stop worrying about us. We can take care of our own problems." He trailed through the forest, pushing aside some large grass stems.

"I know."

Rai lifted an eyebrow.

Shirou raised his hands defensively.

Rai sighed. "Well, I already set up those mines. Let's keep looking around here a while."

He and Shirou swept around the area, peering under tree roots, pushing aside plants. Shirou cast out his heart magic and frowned.

Rai asked, "Find something?"

"Some Heartless appeared just behind these." He tapped some grass.

A Large Body rocketed free.

Shirou slid aside.

Rai's Keyblade shot upwards. "Stop!"

The Heartless froze.

Several Soldiers followed the frozen Large Body. A couple Red Nocturne and Blue Rhapsody materialized around them.

Rai and Shirou exchanged glances. Rai lifted his Keyblade. "Magnet."

Several of the Heartless jerked, then flew towards them, clustered in a tight ball.

Shirou leapt, Keyblade swiping at the Heartless. Vir struck several and sent them spinning. He struck the hovering Heartless a few more times before they dissipated, pink hearts floating skyward.

Rai said, "The Large—"

The darkness pinged on Shirou's vaguely-aware heart magic. He whipped Vir backwards and stabbed. He slid to the side and around the Heartless, lifting Vir to slash across its back. It tumbled forward, and Rai leapt to deliver the final blow, darkness streaming skyward around a glass-like heart.

Rai asked, "That it?"

"All the Heartless that were materialized. But," he paused and glanced sideways, "the flower's registering a heart."

Rai quirked an eyebrow, then turned towards the closed pink petals. "Can you talk?"

The flower's petals parted slightly. "Yes."

"Have you seen any large, strange creatures around here?"

"Those horrible things? They're always wandering here. Oh, but I would love a potion."

Rai glanced towards Shirou.

He shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure she understands there are different types. She at least doesn't understand that we're looking for a specific one." He fished in his back and removed a potion.

"Hey," Rai protested, "don't give her that. We might need it."

Shirou ignored him and considered what to do with the potion. He eventually poured it on her roots.

The flower's petals opened. "That's better."

"Can you tell us what some of those creatures looked like? Anything would be helpful."

"There are big ones and small ones. They're all dark and they chase people away. They don't bother us much, though."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Any _really_ big ones? Bigger than normal?"

"No, no, I don't think so."

Melody's voice carried to them. "Shirou! Rai!" She landed on a branch overhead. "Find anything?"

"No," Rai answered.

"Well, maybe," Shirou added. "It seems like it's not on the ground in the forest."

Emi joined them on the ground. "We didn't find much, either."

A voice echoed towards them. "Perhaps you're not looking in the right places." A pink cat appeared, balancing on his head.

Melody scowled. "You led us on a wild goose chase last time."

Shirou exchanged a glance with Emi, who shrugged.

The Cheshire Cat grinned, lifting his head with his tail. "If a goose is what you're looking for, maybe try looking _up._ "

Emi fidgeted with her shirt. "We already looked in the treetops."

The Chesire Cat laughed, and disappeared.

Melody folded her arms. "Geez. Can't just be straight forward."

Emi squinted at the branches.

Rai cupped his chin. "How far up did you guys go?"

Melody blinked at him. "You're taking him seriously?"

"We don't have anything else to go on."

Emi said, "We'll show you." Magic gleamed around her feet and she leapt into the treetops.

Rai and Melody followed. Rai paused to call, "Do you need help getting up here?"

Shirou shook his head. "There are enough low-hanging branches. I think I can climb."

Rai nodded.

Shirou jumped, snagging a branch and lifting himself onto it. He walked along the edge and leapt for the next one, trailing behind his companions.

Emi stopped a few branches above him.

"I'm fine," he called. "Just show the others and I'll catch up."

Emi hesitated, then leapt higher.

Shirou paused on a branch about halfway up the tree, wiping his hands on his pants. Something flickered out of the corner of his eye.

A strange, half-visible image shuddered on the branch beside him, vaguely resembling a person.

He frowned, extending a tendril of magic towards it. A heart pulsed faintly, just barely detectable, and he ventured, "Hello?"

"Shirou!" Melody called.

He jumped. The image disappeared.

"You okay down there?"

"Yeah!" He cast a glance where the image had been. "You guys find anything?"

Emi called, "We think there might be something higher in the branches. We wanted to wait for you before exploring."

"Right." He stretched towards another low-hanging branch. He whispered, "Do you know what that was, Xion?"

The girl materialized on the branch overhead, a pensive expression twisting her features. "It felt almost like a memory, but I don't know why one would be appearing _here_."

"Kind of like you?"

She shook her head. "I didn't have any place to return to, and am more of a ghost than anything else. This was different."

"Maybe I'm finally able to connect to a world's heart."

Xion still looked troubled.

Shirou sighed. "It's alright. It's probably not that big a deal."

"I suppose." She disappeared.

Rai and Emi helped haul Shirou onto their branch when he reached them.

Melody paced near the trunk, glancing into the more narrow branches above. She leapt, kicking off the trunk and landing on one. It wobbled slightly, but held. "This one's good."

Rai said, "The ones higher might not be, though." He pointed. "Even if we _are_ tiny right now, those don't look all that stable." A few smaller branches waved, as if to prove his point.

Emi mused, "A Heartless like the Trickmaster would never be able to balance on them." She narrowed her eyes. "Melody, are there any openings up there?"

"I'll check." She leapt across the branches.

Rai asked, "You think there's another room? That's what that Cat was warning us about?"

Emi fidgeted with her shirt. "Maybe. It's the only idea I have right now."

"Hey!" Melody called. She peered over the edge. "There's a small gap here."

"Is it big enough to get through?"

"I think so, but it'll be tight."

Rai joined her. "We'll probably have to go in one at a time."

"Stop being a worry-wart. The branch is fine."

"You notice it rocking, right?"

Shirou sighed. "It's not going to hurt to get there gradually!"

Melody called, "Alright. I'll go in first."

Shirou said, "I'll bring up the rear. It'll take me a little longer to get up there, anyways."

Emi nodded, then gradually made her way upwards.

Shirou paused to ready himself to move. Something flickered in the corner of his vision—something wraith-like and eerily resembling the figure he'd seen before. He whipped towards it.

Empty air stared back.

Shirou blinked, shook his head, and began climbing.

 **-Kiritsugu** handed Illya a packed lunch. "Got everything else?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Homework done?"

She huffed. "Dad."

"Alright, alright." He smiled. "Just checking."

Illya sighed. "I'm heading out! Miss Taiga promised she'd take me shopping later."

Kiritsugu chuckled. "Alright. Behave for—" Pain shot through his hand. He gripped his wrist.

"Dad?"

He forced a smile and hid his hand. "I'm fine. Have a good day at school."

Illya glanced at him skeptically, but left.

Kiritsugu waited several moments. He slowly brought his hand around in front of him. He sucked in a deep breath. "It's not possible."

Red, stylized, sword-like command seals slowly etched themselves onto the back of his right hand.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **phuxeds:** _I get that Shirou's origin is Heart instead of Sword since he was never given Avalon, but the concept that he has an origin at all proves that he still possesses magic circuits and operates under Gaia's system of magic. So are his magic circuits being used in conjunction with his Keyblade abilities or is his actual magecraft something yet to be seen?_ – The way the Keyblade's magic system works is that it takes whatever magic system was in place on an inhabitant's home world and uses a portion of that to awaken a user's magical potential, then funnels the magic through its own method of using it. Basically this means that, so long as Shirou uses a Keyblade, his magic circuits are used to support the magic of his Keyblade. Technically speaking, if Shirou ever lost the Keyblade or if he got enough training in Gaia's traditional magecraft system, he could activate his circuits separately, but it's pretty rare for this to happen once someone gains a Keyblade.

 **Server lock:** _I'm looking forward to the little spar, but at the same time resigned that it's not the Shirou I actually want to see fight._ – I don't think I remember seeing that in reviews, but I could be forgetting. _I also think that killing Shirou at this point from the planets standpoint holds no actual purpose..._ – That's fair. There actually _is_ a legitimate reason for her to want Shirou dead (or, at least, without a Keyblade), but I probably could've handled it better to keep it from feeling cheap.

 **reality deviant:** _Kiritsugu and Rin part went smoother then expected. wonder what the two Magi will make of Keybladers._ – Haha, you'll see more of that later. _Sora seems typical from the impression the fic gave. And it will come to bite him later._ – He has extra reasons for hiding things this time, though. Very spoilery reasons. But still things he'll be called out on later because, reasons or not, he really should've just told Aqua everything. _Are sentiant world really rare, or just the group was lucky to avoid it untill now? will they meet more such soon? or other cases of worlds with guardians not welcoming to Keybladers?_ – Sentient worlds are relatively rare, as they fall under the cases of 'unusual' worlds, examples of other such worlds being ones with dead hearts (such as the Keyblade Graveyard) and ones with multiple or conjoined hearts (such as End of the World). They probably won't be meeting any more through the course of this fic. There _are_ other worlds out there that have their own guardians—even other sentient worlds. And while many normal worlds are rather ambivalent to Keybladers, there are quite a few sentient worlds who remember what the Keybearers used to bring and loathe all individuals by default.

 **ultima-owner:** _Is the cloaked dude young Xehanort?_ – The cloaked dude is someone. I honestly don't know if this guy's identity will be surprising or not, but I figure I'll let the story tell it on its own.

 **RedRat8:** _Guess Sora has forgotten that not everyone wants to be saved and not everyone wants help or understanding as well._ _I feel for you Shirou I really do, to know that you have a unique power and that no matter what you do you can't use it to help anyone._ – True on both counts, but it certainly doesn't make either situation any easier to deal with. Haha, I appreciate the motivational speech afterward, though! _Sorry about not reviewing last chapter got stuck in a very long day and week._ – Don't worry about it! Reviewing isn't obligatory, and while I appreciate it, if you're busy then take care of yourself first. I'm hoping that means that the past two weeks have been better, though!

 **UKNOWNGPX:** _Didn't KH:Recoded have you use Tsubame Gaeshi the Noble Phantasm technique that the fake servant Assassin uses. It was called Judgement Triad if I remember correctly. So if Data Sora can do that why can't really Sora do it or even teach it to Shirou making him learn his first NP as well as having the illusion of False Assassin appear over Shirou as he does it to show that despite the time he has been away from his home world he is still connected to it._ – I haven't played Re: coded in a long time, so I looked up Judgement Triad, and it does kind of look that way, huh? From the looks of it (splitting the Keyblade into three light Keyblades) this is something that would involve at least some magic to do, and Shirou's too specialized to actually pull that off. It's a neat idea, though.

 **EaterofWorlds20:** _Why did Sora and Shirou tell Rin, Kiritsugu and Illya about other worlds and the keyblade. It makes no sense._ \- …Shoot. I didn't post your whole review, but you had a lot of good reasons for being frustrated with this, so as weird as it sounds, I appreciate that. To be fair, Sora actually didn't tell them much—most of it was told by Shirou. However, looking back, I should've had it come out a lot more reluctantly from Shirou, if I had him say it at all. This is one of those rare moments where I'm actually considering going back and editing something story-wise, since it's kind of on that cusp of 'large happenings that I don't want to change so current readers don't have to re-read chapters' and 'small enough that I can fix it without consequence.' I'll probably play around with it and have it either fixed or find a way to deal with it going forward by next week, though.

 _Any thoughts about the chapter? If you're able, a review would be awesome!_


	40. Tests

_So here's the early chapter. Just as a head's up: I_ did _end up changing some things in chapters 37 and 38 so that Shirou and Sora don't reveal they're from other worlds. That_ is _the only major change, though, so you shouldn't have to worry about going back and reading through the chapters again._

 _Thank you reality deviant, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty: Tests**

When Shirou squeezed through the small entry hole, he found himself falling through darkness. He twisted, trying to angle himself downward.

Something caught him.

He swung, half-ready to summon Vir, until Melody said, "Relax, it's me."

Shirou's shoulders fell. He lifted his free hand and caught the ledge above, dragging himself onto it. His vision slowly adjusted to the gloom. Emi and Rai stood on platforms a little above them on the opposite side. Several similar platforms lined the tall, bark chamber, long sticks occasionally branching from one side to the next.

Melody released a hefty sigh. "Great. We just found a way _into_ the tree."

Shirou activated his magic and sent a small strand down the trunk. A few flickers of darkness registered. "There are Heartless down there."

Rai called, "Probably not the one we're looking for, though."

Emi said, "Let's take care of them first. Maybe then we can look around for other clues."

Shirou kept his heart magic tagging the Heartless and jumped to a lower ledge. The others followed him slowly. He paused on one ledge and lifted a hand, stalling his companions. "Down there," he whispered, pointing.

Emi landed beside him. She summoned her Keyblade and pointed. "Fire." The fireball exploded from her Keyblade, leaving a stream of light, and crashed into a Large Body waiting on the ledge below. The Heartless stirred into a frenzy.

Shirou summoned Vir and transformed it. He allowed his magic to track a Soldier through the darkness and fired. The arrow struck home; a second arrow dissipated it, leaving a glowing pink heart to float skyward.

Rai shouted, "Magnet!"

Several Heartless surged towards the magic's pull. They clustered in a tight ball over Rai's head, purple-pink energy forcing them together.

Melody leapt, dragging her Keyblade through the swarm. She jumped again the moment she landed, striking rapidly.

Shirou whipped to the side, aiming Vir. "There are still a few roaming free."

Emi nodded. "You shoot, I'll follow."

Shirou tracked a Red Nocturne, pulled back an energy arrow, and fired.

Emi released a Blizzard spell directly afterwards.

The arrow collided with the Heartless, sending it spinning directly into the Blizzard spell. The glass-like heart floated skyward.

Shirou whipped to aim at a second Heartless, and Emi followed suit, the arrow and spell flying true.

Melody landed beside them with a grunt, darkness still swirling around her Keyblade. "That all of them?"

Shirou ran a quick check with his magic. "That materialized, anyways."

Emi fidgeted with the blindfold around her neck and took a deep breath.

Shirou shot her a concerned glance and started to activate his heart magic.

"I'm okay." She gave Shirou a dry look. "Old habits die hard."

Shirou nodded, rubbing his neck.

"So," Rai asked, "any idea of what else we could look for?"

Melody shrugged. "Anything. It's not like we have many leads." She leapt onto a narrow ledge.

Emi cupped her chin. "Look for any other openings. They'll either lead us somewhere new, or get us out of the tree."

The four split up. Shirou opened his magic, tentatively extending it, checking for any other hidden Heartless.

Xion materialized beside him. "I'll help keep an eye open."

He nodded.

"Hey," Rai called, "there's something down here, but I'm not sure it really counts as an opening."

Melody, Emi, and Shirou joined him. Melody said, "It's tiny." She squatted and narrowed her eyes.

"I know. But it's better than nothing."

Emi examined it pensively.

Melody experimentally stuck a finger through. The opening rippled. Melody jerked her finger back.

Rai snapped, "Why? We're not even sure what that could do."

"Relax, it's fine." She wiggled her fingers in his face. "But it's definitely magic."

"Great, but that doesn't help us get through."

Melody examined the tree. "Could we peel the bark away?"

Emi asked, "What about something to shrink us?"

Rai and Melody exchanged glances. Melody admitted, "That could work."

Xion whispered, "I think there were some mushrooms back the way we came."

Shirou said, "There were mushrooms up there." He gestured.

Emi followed his gaze and returned the way they'd come. She paced along a branch, scanning the surface, then tilted her head upwards. She summoned her Keyblade and swiped something above her head. She fumbled to catch the falling objects and nearly fell from the branch.

Melody and Shirou jumped to catch the falling mushrooms.

Rai called, "Are you alright?"

"Fine!" Emi collected herself, then made her way down.

Rai glanced at her, then eyed the mushrooms skeptically. "So who wants to take the first bite?"

They exchanged glances. Shirou said, "I will."

Melody added, "I know Esuna if something goes wrong."

Rai commented, "I don't think that's going to help if he grows rapidly."

Emi snorted.

"I meant if it's _poison._ Like that didn't cross your mind."

Shirou sighed. He took a bite. Something tingled through his arms and hands, his legs, spreading through his body. His body shook, then something snapped. He fell, landing heavily on the wooden platform. Shoes filled his vision.

Emi bent close to him. "Looks like it worked."

Shirou examined his smaller self, and glanced up ruefully.

Melody bent near him. "Aw, he's so cute now."

"H-hey!"

Emi smothered her laugh.

Shirou looked away. "Alright, your turn."

Melody tossed a piece to Rai, handed one to Emi, and took a bite herself.

Emi bit hers, then jumped back, dropping the mushroom, when Melody shot up and slipped off the platform. The other girl grew, hitting one of the platforms with a thud.

Emi eyed the mushroom dubiously, then suddenly shrank, landing beside Shirou.

Rai gave his mushroom a skeptical look and held it at arm's length.

Melody groaned and rubbed her head. "I hate Wonderland."

Rai smirked. "If we found the Trickmaster now, you could just step on it and we'd be done."

"I could also step on you."

Rai lifted his hands.

"Guys," Emi sighed.

Shirou glanced between them. "Why don't Emi and I scout ahead? We can get an idea of what's on the other side of the hole while you guys sort your sizes out."

Rai looked skeptical. "If there's more Heartless on the other side, though—"

"Oh, come on, Rai! They'll be fine. I mean, Emi's testing to be a master soon, right?"

Emi made an embarrassed sound and covered her face. "W-we'll be going. If we're not back in a bit, come after us."

Melody and Rai nodded.

Shirou and Emi slipped into the entryway, Rai and Melody's quiet bickering fading behind them. They paced through an odd, swirling vortex. Shirou said, "You'll be fine."

"Hm?"

"With the Mark of Mastery exam. Sora and Riku took it when they were younger than you, and you've had more formal training than they had."

Emi stopped and examined him.

"I didn't read your emotions. I just figured that's what you were thinking about."

She puffed a sigh. "It's not just that. It's—Riku saved me, when my world was overrun by Heartless. I want to make him proud, but I also—I don't feel like I'm _ready_ to be a Keyblade Master."

He tentatively extended a tendril of magic towards Emi's heart, brushing it, and noticed uncertainty and anxiety weaving coils around each other. "We can focus on the mission right now. The exam's not for a little while, anyways."

Emi nodded, gratefulness weaving through her heart. She started again.

Shirou followed, catching a glimpse of Heartless flashing through a memory before he released his magic, and momentarily the image shifted towards a human surrounded by flames. _Do you want to prove you were worth being saved, too?_

He pushed the thought aside, reminding himself that they had a mission to finish.

The strange corridor ended, leaving them in a mostly-empty clearing. Tall grass surrounded them on all sides. A few flowers hung over the edge. Emi trailed around the edges, prodding the grass. "It's not very moveable."

"Maybe that's because of how small we are." Shirou moved towards the clearing's center, casting his gaze about.

A figure materialized in front of them. "Congratulations. You've found a secret place."

Emi whipped towards him.

The cat fixed Shirou with a curious glance. "I wonder what memories you'll find here?"

Shirou half lifted his hand, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. Memories get lost all the time. And so do geese." He disappeared.

Shirou paused, then tapped into his heart magic. Darkness and hunger pinged above them.

Shirou summoned Vir and leapt aside. "It's above us!"

Melody and Rai entered the clearing. "Hey, guys, we—"

The massive Heartless crashed in front of them, uncoiling itself, batons twirling and dirt spraying over the four Keyblade apprentices.

 **-Kiritsugu** stood in front of the McKenzie's house. He knocked. The Command Seals stared back, the deep red seeming to shimmer.

An old man opened the door. "Hello? How can I help you?"

"My name is Kiritsugu. I'd like to speak to Rin, if she's home."

The man looked skeptical. "What did you want to speak to her about?"

"Glen, we— _you_." Rin stopped, just visible in the doorway's crack, mouth agape. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Kiritsugu dipped his head. "Hello, Rin. I brought the information for your paper, like you asked." He lifted a brief case, angling the Command Seals on his hand towards her. "I thought we could talk about it, to make sure I have everything."

Her eyes widened slightly. She flashed him a look, then nodded. "Right. It's okay, Glen. He can come in."

Glen glanced at Kiritsugu, then moved aside.

Kiritsugu dipped his head.

Glen said, "Let me know if you need anything."

Rin led Kiritsugu up the stairs to a small bedroom. She shut the door behind them, murmured something, then turned on Kiritsugu. "You have Command Seals."

"Yes." He glanced at her covered hand. "I presume you do, as well?"

"That's none of your concern." She raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to explain why the Grail War's starting early?"

"I have theories, but nothing for certain."

Rin sighed, shoulders sinking. "What a mess." She sank onto the bed. "It's because you didn't accept a wish last time, isn't it? The Grail needs a victor."

Kiritsugu pursed his lips and didn't answer.

"I'm going to let Waver know. He already knows the Grail's corrupt, but if he knows the Grail War's starting early, maybe he can get through the Association's thick heads about stopping it." She slid a glance towards Kiritsugu. "That's why you're here, right? To get help stopping this?"

"More or less." He paused. "I would like to propose an alliance, for the duration of the War, until we can either stop the Grail or we die."

"It hardly seems like you'd need to specify that. You know I'm not interested in that monkey's paw."

"It's not because of the Grail. It's because of what I'm about to offer you."

She gave him a skeptical look.

"How would you like to have the strongest Servant?"

* * *

 _And that'll be it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _was that kiri checking in on shirou?_ – Actually, no, that _was_ a flicker from one of Wonderland's memories. _wonder what servant the now twice master will get this time._ – Haha, well, I guess it's confirmed that it's not Saber—I'm guessing his reasons are probably relatively obvious, but they'll still be explained later.

 **RedRat8:** _I forgot how old Shirou is right now so how old is he? Also will he enter in the Grail War?_ – At this point he's pretty close to sixteen. As for the Grail War, you'll have to wait and see~

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Was that a timeskip?!_ – Yep, that was a time skip! Shirou's right around the age he is in the VN now. _Also, I see the apprentice trio are having fun (not) in the insane world that is Wonderland._ – Yeah, they're…having a great time. Really.

 **Parks98:** _Though I feel like the grail was isn't gonna happen for a while like during fate zero so Kiritsugu should get some prep time which means lots and I do mean lots of explosives._ – That feeling is correct, to an extent! He and Rin _are_ going to have some time to prepare before the actual start of the Grail War, though less than Kiritsugu had in Fate/Zero. _Oh and a quick question since Gaia/Alyla basically hates keyblade weilders and we know that shirou is gonna have some part in the 5th grail war does that mean we may see him and Archer meet? If some would that cause shirou to gain some of Archers abilities like in the VN?_ – I will confirm that he and Archer will definitely meet at some point, but I can't really say what's going to happen because of spoilers. I _will_ say that I'm very excited for that part to come around.

 **ultima-owner:** _wonderland and logic don't mix._ – Not even remotely. It's a very… _interesting_ world. _the mine spells are quite useful_ – They are! I never ended up using them much in BbS, but my brother abused and loved them.

 _If you have anything you'd like to say about the chapter, please drop a review and let me know!_


	41. Games

_Here's chapter forty – one. Thank you Aburg76, A.K.J.19, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, and Server lock for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – One: Games**

Emi backpedaled rapidly, summoning her Keyblade, hand flying almost instinctively to the blindfold, then pulling away.

Shirou lifted Vir.

Melody released a battle cry and charged.

Rai shot a questioning glance their way.

Melody swung, drawing the Trickmaster's attention.

Emi and Shirou hurried around to Rai.

Rai asked, "So what are we going with?"

Emi flashed an uncertain glance towards the Heartless, then took a deep breath and focused on him. "Set up some seeker mines. You're mostly going to focus on support."

Rai nodded. Small circles flashed around them, then fled towards the Heartless.

"Shirou, you and I are going to be ranged for now."

Shirou transformed Vir. He activated his heart magic and connected to the Heartless, drew an energy arrow, and fired.

Emi lifted her Keyblade. A dark Firaga formed at the tip and flared towards the Trickmaster.

It whipped towards them.

 _Darkness anger fear hungry whose that whose that whose that heart._

Shirou winced. He de-activated his magic.

The Trickmaster moved towards them.

"Hey!" Melody shouted. A fireball shot at its head.

The Trickmaster continued towards them.

Melody dashed in and swung at its legs.

Emi and Shirou separated, running on opposite sides of the Heartless.

Rai set up a mine square, then released a Thunder.

The Heartless twitched, then struck at him with its batons.

A barrier went up around Rai, taking the brunt of the Heartless's attack. Rai winced beneath.

Melody leapt. She lifted her Keyblade, shouting, "Firaga!" A large fireball shot upwards into the Heartless's midsection.

Emi and Shirou fired again, and released a few more volleys.

The Heartless swung around, spinning in a tight circle, batons flailing outward.

Shirou changed Vir back, but couldn't lift it in time to block. The baton hit his chest and sent him flying. He hit the ground with a gasp, then correct himself, rolling to his feet again.

The Trickmaster loomed above him.

Melody jumped and slashed an arm. "Over here!"

The Trickmaster turned to her.

Emi hit its opposite leg while Melody ran away.

The Heartless whipped towards her.

Shirou grinned, then dashed between the Heartless's legs, striking one on the way by.

The Trickmaster whipped around, flipped its batons, and released a stream of fire.

Rai shot in front of them, summoning a barrier. They huddled behind him while fire roared beside. Shirou squinted against the flames and turned towards the glass-like combs of Rai's barrier.

Rai grimaced. The barrier flickered.

Emi and Rai switched places. "Blizzaga!" Ice crystals splayed in front of them as the barrier fell. The fire sent cascades of light through the crystals and roared skyward. Steam swirled around the ice; water beaded and slid down the ice's surface, but the barrier held.

Shirou re-transformed Vir and angled his weapon over the crystals. He fired. The energy arrow veered in an arc in what he hoped was the general direction of the Heartless. Vir returned to normal form.

Emi said, "Shirou, can you join Melody on physical attacks?"

He nodded.

The fire stopped.

He and Melody sprinted from their hiding place. They split, charging the Trickmaster from either side. Melody released a battle cry and jumped, swinging her Keyblade in an arc to strike the Heartless's upper leg.

Shirou swept low. Vir slashed the Trickmaster's foot. A baton whooshed overhead, and he skidded around the side. He eyed the Heartless, then jumped, stabbing Vir into one of the Heartless's leg folds. He clung there when the Heartless jerked.

The Trickmaster jumped and flailed. Shirou tried to brace himself for a few moments. His feet lifted into the air. He grimaced, his fingers gradually sliding from Vir. They slipped, and he flew backwards.

"I've got you!" Melody caught him, sending them both sprawling across the ground.

Shirou groaned, lifting his head.

The Trickmaster lifted both batons. It brought them down, sending shockwaves across the earth. Shirou and Melody flew into the air.

Suddenly they found themselves floating. Rai and Emi had taken refuge on some leaves of grass. Rai had his Keyblade extended.

Melody shouted, "What if he hits us now? Besides, we'll take damage here."

Shirou winced. The world pulsed. A small amount of energy drained.

Rai rolled his eyes. "Emi's got that."

Emi had already slid down the grass and moved towards the Trickmaster. Light hemmed her Keyblade, and she stuck it into the air. A small light circle formed under the Trickmaster. A burst flashed from it, cutting upwards, momentarily blinding everyone and sending small, bright sparks outward. The light dissipated, and the Heartless turned towards Emi.

Dark fire formed at the tip of Emi's Keyblade, and she fired at the Heartless.

The Heartless batted it away with a baton, then flashed both towards Emi.

Emi blocked, but the force sent her flying. She rolled through the dirt, returned to her feet, and slashed at the second baton, skidding to the right. Light coated her Keyblade, and she slashed, sending a small shockwave towards the Heartless. She lifted her Keyblade and called the light pillar again.

The Trickmaster stopped mid-movement. The light flashed through it. It shook.

When the light faded, it reared backwards, arms stretched wide. It released another blast of fire.

"Blizzaga!" Emi's voice came out panicked, high-pitched, and the spell shot in front of her, appearing just barely in time to protect her. The icy walls and fire made her invisible for several moments, a hellish orange flashing in facets across the ground and grass.

Something dark moved underneath the Trickmaster. Emi shot from the earth, wreathed in a dark cloak, and spun her Keyblade. The weapon flashed in a blur, sending long, dark lines through the air while she cut at the Heartless's underside.

The fire stopped.

Emi fell, the darkness falling away. She stumbled, fired a Dark Firaga, and fell to one knee.

The Trickmaster turned to her.

"Emi!" Melody struggled, trying to aim her Keyblade.

Shirou clenched a fist. The magic was fading, but not fast enough. He activated his heart magic and sent it full-force towards the Heartless.

It whipped towards him, bead eyes glowing.

 _Heart._

A Thundaga spell fell on the Heartless. It jerked.

Rai hurried from the grass, Keyblade lowering, and helped drag Emi to her feet.

Shirou and Melody fell. Shirou caught himself upon landing, wincing.

Melody called, "Curaga."

The green healing light fell over both of them. The aches of the battle faded away.

"Man," Melody said, "this thing's a lot tougher than they said it'd be. It _has_ to be close to going down."

Shirou nodded. He sent a tendril of heart magic towards Melody, flashing it enough to let her know.

She glanced to him and grinned. Her anticipation and excitement flashed towards him. Vaguely he sensed her heart begin moving sideways.

He moved opposite, and approval radiated across the link. They slashed the legs in-tandem.

The Trickmaster's batons moved towards them.

Shirou blocked, skidding.

Melody's energy spiked. Magic filled her heart, bubbling and glowing.

Shirou stepped back, swinging Vir to keep the Trickmaster at bay.

Melody fired a Firaga. The attack collided with the Trickmaster's head. The Heartless hesitated, then turned.

Shirou sensed Melody move away, and he jumped onto the Heartless's arm, running the length and jumping. He brought Vir down on the creature's face. It stumbled, and Shirou flew by it.

Excitement and relief flared behind him. Melody's Keyblade collided with the Heartless. Darkness exploded, swirling around Shirou, writhing around his sides.

He landed and fell to a knee. He released the heart magic. Vir disappeared.

"Phew." Melody rubbed her neck.

Rai and Emi moved towards them. Emi kept her gaze downward, fidgeting with her shirt.

Melody offered, "Emi, that was amazing! You're totally ready for this exam."

She gave an uncertain smile. "I should've been more conservative with my magic, though. I ran out."

"Hey, it's better than what I can do."

Shirou flashed her a wry look.

Emi sighed, but the anxiety smoothed from her features.

"So," Rai said, "are we going to talk about why that Heartless was stronger than the reports said? Because I feel like that's an issue."

Shirou and Emi exchanged glances. Shirou said, "We can tell them when we get back."

Rai opened his mouth, hesitated, then snapped it closed and reluctantly nodded.

The apprentices turned to leave. Melody moved through the middle of the clearing.

Rai's eyes widened.

A small circle flared beneath Melody's feet. It exploded, and she yelped, flying backwards.

"Yeah, that mine square hasn't faded yet."

" _Rai!_ "

 **-Kiritsugu** sat in front of Brande. They currently sat in a small office, brand behind a large wooden desk, Kiritsugu in a large chair. A simple rug sprawled across the wooden floor. A few paintings hung around the room. Snow whirled outside the window.

She steepled her fingers. "So let me get this straight. You traveled here all the way from Japan in order to get my help obtaining a catalyst. For a war you don't want to fight, and whose prize you're going to throw away. You already gave King Arthur's catalyst to a young girl, who is going to be your ally in this 'not war.' Is that correct?"

"Yes."

Brande leaned back and massaged her temples. "You're absolutely certain you're not insane?"

Kiritsugu didn't answer.

"If you just plan on trying to stop the Holy Grail War, anyways, why not refuse to summon a Servant?"

"I'm still a Master. I'm not safe because I'm Servant-less. Besides, Illya is still the vessel for the Holy Grail. If anyone finds that out—"

"Got it." Brande cupped her chin. "Alright, fine. I suppose I owe you. Any particular Servant you're looking for?"

"Someone who can manage both myself and Saber."

"That's asking for a lot." But her eyes slid to the side, narrowed in thought. Vaguely she muttered something. "I'll see what I can do. When do you want this catalyst by?"

"Sooner rather than later. I'm not sure how soon the war is going to officially begin."

Brande sighed. "I'll try and have something for you by the end of the week." She eyed him. "And I'm assuming you also want my help identifying other Masters?"

"I have eyes and ears elsewhere keeping track of that. However, any information you could offer would be appreciated."

"I'll keep you posted." She stood, signaling the end of their meeting.

Kiritsugu bowed, then turned.

"A moment. What makes you believe you can stop this, if the Mage's Association has already refused to intervene."

He fixed her with a cold, hard look. "Someone has to try. If nothing else, I can destroy the Grail here and delay the outcome a little longer."

Brande met his gaze a few more moments, then dipped her head.

* * *

 _There's the end of this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Wait what is this 24 hours early, or did I just miss my Saturday?_ – Haha, nope, it's early. I mentioned in the beginning author's note last chapter that I'd be updating early last week, since I wouldn't be around that weekend.

 **A.K.J.19:** _Since you said that Rin will be most likely getting Saber then I wonder who Kiritsugu will be getting, though I had this weird flash of him summoning is Counter Guardian Self from Grand Order but that wouldn't go down well._ – Haha, that'd actually be rather interesting. That's not who he'll be summoning—for reasons that I'm sure are rather obvious in this chapter—but it is entertaining to think about. _Also aren't you a day early I'm not complaining as I like reading your fics I just don't want you to push yourself or cut your chapters short like I end up doing when I realise what I wrote would make a great closing scene._ – Yep, I was early last week; I mentioned that I'd be out of town that Saturday in the author's note of the previous chapter, so I updated early. Don't worry about me cutting things short, though; I'll still be able to do full length chapters even if I _do_ have to do early or extra updating. (It _does_ make it easier that I already knew these chapters would be a bit shorter, though.)

 **RedRat8:** _Well now, it seems Rin might get her dream of having the Saber class Servant after all._ – Yep! I figured after the last War, Kiritsugu might not feel comfortable summoning Saber as his Servant again, but having her and Rin as allies was a good option. _Also nice to know that Shirou and gang are having "fun" in Wonderland and also now that I think about it that last part totally means that Shirou won't be getting Saber for the Grail War if he enters._ – Yep. So much...fun. You may be surprised about what happens with the second part of your comment, though.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Poor poor Archer has no idea how Kiritsugu living to tell the tale of the corrupt Grail will screw with his plans._ – Haha, poor Archer has no idea there are a _lot_ of people who can now screw with his plans. _Will Shirou be dragged back to his world for the war? Or will it be because of the darkness of the Grail that he is sent to investigate?_ – You'll have to wait and see on that front, but I will say that he goes back willingly.

 **RedRat8:** _Magnet spells work well on mobs and it makes some of the time based fights a lot less stressful._ – Indeed.

 **Server lock:** _Not letting Archer be summoned, if I had one word it would be disappointed._ – Oh, he's being summoned. I can't just leave him out after having such a tense struggle with Sora. He's just got a different Master this time around.

 _Any thoughts? Please let me know in a review!_


	42. Plans

_This is chapter forty – two. Thank you Aburg76, RedRat8, DPSS, ultima-owner, and Neo-Devil for reviewing last chapter!_

 _Just as a head's up, next weekend I won't have access to a computer (again), so_ _ **the chapter will update a day early.**_ _Just so you aren't surprised when a chapter alert appears on Friday instead of Saturday._

 **Chapter Forty – Two: Plans**

Aqua stood in front of her desk, papers collected, eyeing the three other Keyblade Masters. "Alright, let's begin by checking in with everyone. Then we'll get to the main reasons for this meeting. Lea, would you care to start?"

Lea inclined his head. "Radiant Garden's been seeing more Heartless than usual. Kairi and Leon do pretty well handling it, but there might be a larger Heartless drawing them there."

"Noted. Riku?"

"Not much to report. I had some unexpected encounters with Invisibles, but everything besides has been normal."

"Sora?"

The brown-haired Keyblade Master hovered back a ways, a pensive look on his face. He started at his name, his expression morphing into something more relaxed. "Huh? Oh, not a lot of trouble."

"And?"

Sora hesitated, searching her face, something heavier settling in his features. He shrugged and looked away. "I passed by Shirou's world earlier. There's nothing to report there—it's been mostly inactive, like it's been for years."

Aqua examined him a few moments. She finally relaxed and nodded.

"If you ask me," Lea said, "you shouldn't worry so much about the world. It's a problem, sure, but there are lots of worlds out there, and whoever's out hunting you has hardly shown his head."

Sora shrugged, a force smile on his lips. "Maybe you're right."

Riku watched, a troubled expression creasing his features.

Aqua took a deep breath and released. "Alright, let's focus. There are two main subjects to talk about—one pleasant, one not. Which do you want to start with?"

A heavy silence settled over the room. Riku said, "Let's get the bad out of the way."

"Mickey's been keeping tabs on the Realm of Darkness, in case something like what happened years ago happens again. As I'm sure you've probably guessed, there's been more Heartless activity than normal."

The other Masters exchanged glances. Lea said, "Hold on. Wasn't that because of the old man and a lack of Keybladers? Why would they start acting up now?"

"I don't know. It might be because we're still so small in number, and we haven't been able to close the rift to the Realm of Darkness completely. It could also be because something is actively trying to stir them to action."

Riku's eyes narrowed.

Sora cupped his chin. "But who would want another Heartless invasion?"

"I don't know. But keep your eyes open. If you have any suspects, let me know immediately."

The three nodded.

Aqua's shoulders relaxed. "Now for something more exciting. Riku. Emi's been preparing for her Mark of Mastery exam, right?"

"Yeah. She's nervous, but I'm sure she's ready."

"Good." She motioned for him to keep speaking.

He flashed her a surprised look. "Well, I'm figuring we should do a combined exam—something between what you and Terra went through, and what Sora and I did. We'd have a basic combat test here, in front of everyone, to go over magic and sword play. Then send her to a world with a specific target to take out and object to get on a solo mission."

Aqua nodded. "If you'll stay a while afterwards, we'll discuss when to begin and iron out the final plans. Is there anything else to add?"

Sora and Lea shook their heads.

"Alright. Then you guys can go. I'm guessing the apprentices will be back soon."

The two left.

Riku waited until the door shut. "There's something I want to ask you about before we start."

Aqua raised an eyebrow.

"The Puppet Master. You've still been taking him out on 'walks,' right?"

Aqua started. "Yes. It _was_ part of our deal."

"And you've been keeping a close eye on him?"

"Of course." Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Riku, what's this about?"

Riku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He could be a suspect in this."

Aqua blinked, considered it, and groaned. "I suppose so. I'll have to let them know later."

"Including Sora?"

"I'm tired of secrets." She paused. "Besides, I've expected him to be open with me about what he's done since returning. It's only fair that I do the same."

 **-Sora** paced the halls of the Land of Departure. He'd taken to nightly walks, and could follow the routes in complete darkness at this point. Now he took the opportunity to think.

 _If someone's stirring up the Heartless again, that's a problem for_ all _the worlds—especially ones that may not be able to defend against them. It_ could _be the guy that's looking for me—or it could be someone else completely._

 _But if it's the guy who's looking for me, then there might be some sort of clue on Shirou's world._

 _Should I even go back there? Shirou shouldn't. Besides, nothing's happened with the world since we left, so maybe it's alright._

 _Should I tell Aqua?_ He sighed and rubbed his head. _She'd disapprove. But I suppose it's better than just disappearing again._

He stopped, blinking in sunlight, when something roared overhead.

A Gummi ship landed. The apprentices stumbled out—Melody and Rai in the lead, bickering, Shirou and Emi following to try and placate them.

Melody lifted a hand, light flickering around it.

Rai lifted his hands. "Hold on a moment, it was just because you wouldn't—"

Sora coughed.

All four apprentices glanced his way. Melody's hand dropped. "Hi, Sora!"

"Hey. What's going on?"

" _Someone_ ," Melody growled, "put a Sleep spell on me."

"Because you wouldn't stop bugging me about the Mine Square."

"Because you forgot to warn me about it!"

Shirou and Emi exchanged exasperated glances.

"Melody," Sora said, "why don't you go find Lea? I think he said something about working on advanced Fire magic."

Melody's eyes shone. "Alright! Finally!" She sprinted past them.

Rai said, "But she's supposed to be with us to give the report."

"It doesn't take four people to tell a story. Besides, she'll be calm by the time she comes back."

Rai narrowed his eyes, then nodded.

Sora caught Shirou's gaze.

Shirou looked up, then said, "I'll catch up with you guys in a moment."

Emi said, "Alright. We'll see you later." They left.

Shirou asked, "Did something come up."  
Sora rubbed his neck and exhaled slowly. "Well," he paused, "it looks like someone's been trying to get the Heartless moving."

Shirou's eyes widened.

"It's looking pretty bad on the Realm of Darkness side. Did you guys see anything while you were out?"

"The Trickmaster was harder to fight then reports said it should be." The two walked away. "Emi did pretty well though. She's ready for her exam."

"I figured." Sora cupped his chin. "I'm sure Aqua will hear about it in the report. But keep an eye open, okay?"

Shirou nodded.

Sora hesitated. "Speaking of ready—"

Shirou's shoulders stiffened.

"No, I don't mean for a Mark of Mastery test." _Though you've certainly been training long enough._ "You've done solo missions before, but never on an unexplored world, right?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "I thought masters were supposed to go with apprentices to them, just in case?"

"Usually, yeah. But Riku and I went to all sorts of new worlds on our own before, and we're no worse for wear." He shrugged. "I'll see if I can get Aqua to agree, but I think it'd be a good experience."

Shirou searched his expression, then sighed. "How do you hide your emotions so well?"

Sora blinked. "You were trying to read my heart?"

"It just seems weird that it came out of nowhere."

Sora sighed. "I've actually been thinking about it for a while. I wasn't sure how to present it to Aqua, but maybe if Emi's Mark of Mastery exam goes well, she'll be in a good enough mood to consider it."

"And there's not a lot else we can do with my skillset."

Sora winced.

"It's alright. If it's okay, though, I'd like to practice linking to multiple targets doing battle."

"Still having some trouble keeping things surface-level?"

Shirou's eyes narrowed in frustration. "It's still too easy to get distracted, but if I could master it, we could improve our teamwork."

"Okay. It's still more trouble with allies, right? I'll get Melody, Rai, and Lea to help out later. Emi and Riku will probably be focusing on preparing for the Mark of Mastery exam."

Shirou nodded.

"Alright! I guess you should probably catch up with those two."

"They'll probably be done by the time I find them."

"What, are you calling me slow?"

Shirou snorted and hurried away.

Sora called, "At least Melody's not there to make them move faster!" He waited until Shirou was out of sight. Then his shoulders sagged, and the walls around his heart slowly lowered. He rubbed his palms into his eyes, then shook his head. _Right. Time to focus and make sure everything's in order._

 **-Shirou** blinked and rubbed his eyes. Darkness pressed around him.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. A quiet yelp and thud crashed.

Shirou activated his magic. Uncertainty and apprehension trailed the line. "Emi?"

The anxiety increased.

Shirou fed calmer energy along the link and stood.

Emi opened the door and offered him a half-glare. "Don't do that. I just want to feel my feelings."

"Sorry." He cut the magic. "You're worried about the exam?"

She deflated, nodding. "Could you train with me?"

"Sure." He stood and slipped on shoes. The two walked silently through the hallways, faint moonlight trailing through windows. Their footsteps padded, hushed, against the stone corridors.

The training fields seemed to glow, the grass painted a ghostly silver, training dummies washed white. Dew clung to Shirou's pant legs. He and Emi faced each other across the field. They summoned their Keyblades and saluted each other.

Shirou gripped his weapon with both hands and settled into a fighting stance.

Emi took a deep breath, then lunged.

Shirou parried, then ran Vir along Emi's blade.

Emi retreated, sweeping her Keyblade upwards across her chest to parry and swinging to an overhead strike.

Shirou side-stepped, Vir swinging to strike her midsection.

Emi parried, almost too slow, while Shirou slid around behind.

Shirou reset and made a quick feint into her open guard.

Emi parried his anticipated second strike, then spun her weapon around Vir.

Shirou jerked Vir high, feinted striking her head, and quickly whipped the weapon for a side strike.

Emi wasn't quite quick enough; her weapon clanged against Shirou's as he tapped her side.

Shirou grinned. "First touch is mine."

Emi half-laughed, half-sighed. "We go to five."

The two continued, spinning and side-stepping and lunging, parrying and feinting. Emi played defensive until Shirou got his second touch, then went offensive, gaining a quick point when she performed a rapid double-feint the moment they reset.

In the end, they decided to quit at four touches, each. Both panted; sweat dribbled into Shirou's eye, and he wiped it away. "Feeling better?"

"You haven't checked?"

He released Vir and lifted his hands defensively.

Emi sighed. "Yeah. Um, thanks."

"No problem. But you should probably get some sleep."

She gave him a dry look, then left.

"If I don't see you before you start, good luck."

"Thanks."

When she'd gone, Shirou sighed, rolling his shoulders.

"So," a new voice drawled, "it seems you're quite at home here."

Shirou whipped towards the sound. "Who's there?" The voice nudged something at the back of his mind. "Do I know you?"

"Perhaps. We have met before. But you were very young then." A cloaked figure stepped from the shadows. "You have a much better grasp of your magic, I'd wager."

Shirou summoned Vir.

"But so quick for violence. A pity, really. But I suppose other incarnations of you might be the same, under certain circumstances."

"Other—who are you?"

"Someone very much like you, as it would turn out, but with very different goals." The figure tilted his head. "Not that I can do much here. I'd imagine you'd fight me, wouldn't you?"

Shirou gave him and odd look and lifted Vir.

The figure laughed.

Shirou jumped. _It sounds familiar. Why does it sound familiar?_

"Forgive me. It seems you can never lose that desire to protect people, regardless of which 'you' it is."

"What do you mean?" Shirou lowered Vir, taking a step closer.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The figure blurred, and suddenly appeared directly before Shirou, leaning close to his face. "Do you really believe this was the only option after the fire?"

And then he disappeared, leaving Shirou reeling in the empty training field.

 **-Rin** stared at Avalon. She touched it experimentally, then jerked her hand away. She took a deep breath and pressed balled fists to her forehead. "Oh, man. He really wasn't kidding." She pushed Avalon away slightly. "If only the Grail wasn't such a mess."

"Rin!" Martha called, making her jump. "Waver's stopped by for a visit!"

"Coming!" She hid Avalon in the closet and hurried downstairs.

Waver sat at the table, talking to Glen and sipping coffee, when Rin arrived. "It's fine, Grandpa. They're always a little sensitive at work. The dispute will blow over before long."

Glen didn't look entirely convince, but said, "Well, that's good."

Waver turned to Martha. "But it's nice to be back, even if it is for business."

Rin tapped her foot.

Martha said, "Waver, dear, you must tell us all about what's been going on in London! I've heard there's a wonderful festival coming up."

"Well, there might be _a_ festival, but I haven't heard much about it."

Rin coughed.

Waver turned to her. "Rin. So good to see you again."

"Likewise. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you privately."

Waver narrowed his eyes. "Right to business," he muttered. He stood.

Martha chuckled. "Still got that childhood crush, I see!"

Rin flared red. "I do not!"

Martha and Glen laughed.

Waver smiled, but he shot her an uncertain glance. "It's probably just about that big paper she's working on. You wanted knowledge from my travels, right?"

"Yes, and we really should get started, so come on." She caught his arm and dragged him to her room, ignoring the chatting individuals behind.

Waver glanced around the room, something wistful in his eyes. They cleared when he shot her a look. "Childhood crush?"

"Don't flatter yourself. You weren't _too_ much older and a survivor of the Grail War."

"Noted." He settled on the bed. "So. It's starting again."

Rin's shoulders sank. She folded her arms. "Yeah. What did the Mage's Association say?"

"They're debating. Some, surprisingly, are of similar mind to us, and some believe the Grail is truly useless in this state. Others think that the benefits outweigh the risks. Naturally, nothing's going to get done in time for the start of the War."

"So it's going to be our job to take care of this."

Waver pursed his lips. "I'm still not comfortable with you working with this man."

"He gave me Avalon."

"And you don't think that could be a trap?"

"Of course it could be. But it's not like I don't have plans in place in case he decides to double-cross me. Besides, I think he was traumatized enough by the last War not to."

Waver's frown deepened.

"If you're so uncertain, go talk to him."

"If you're allies, I'll have to." He rubbed his temples. "So."

Rin sighed. "Let's start planning."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Well I liked how you did the battle scene against the trickmaster, I hated that level in Kingdom hearts._ – Thanks! Yeah, I was never really the biggest fan of Wonderland, either… _Kiritsugu getting a reagent to handle both himself and Saber, Merlin? though as a thought you could go with Agravain, that guy believed he was helping Saber so you could go with him, though I have no idea what he would be summoned as._ – Haha, you'll have to wait and see!

 **RedRat8:** _So what will the class of the Servant that Shirou will summon do you think?_ – The answer is spoilers. He will summon spoilers. In seriousness, though, what's going to happen with Shirou is going to be different than most people expect, I think.

 **DPSS:** _The fight felt sorta hard to follow, although that could be because it was filled with OC's._ – Hmm, could be either. I'll try to check and make sure future fights are easy enough to follow. _However your Shirou, despite feeling more experienced, also felt like he didn't learn anything new of significense since before the last time skip. Basically, he needs a power-up….One more thing, he is really OOC. I realise some of this is inevitable, but he feels like he barely grew up from the quiet and lost little boy he was._ – _Hopefully_ his solo-mission and the lead-up to the Grail War will help alleviate these problems, but I'll keep them in mind and try to work on them!

 **ultima-owner:** _That boss is cool when it isn't clubbing you to death repeatedly._ – And if all else fails, you can always hide behind/on something.

 **Neo-Devil:** _If Keyblade wielder Shirou wins against EMIYA or Archer, will they just...fuse together into one being like with Shirou and Roxas with Archer walking into Shirou?_ – You'll have to wait and see~

 _If you have any comments on the chapter, or see anywhere that could use improvement, feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	43. The Exam

_So here's the early chapter. Thank you RedRat8, phuxeds, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, brave kid, Aburg76, SoraFan, Server lock, and Paxloria for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Three: The Exam**

Shirou, Rai, and Melody stood to one side in the main hall. Shirou wrung his hands behind his back. He cast a furtive gaze towards his master, but couldn't catch his eye.

Aqua, Riku, and Mickey stood near the front. Sora and Lea both stood back a ways, their faces impassive. Emi stood in the center, face pale, but standing tall, her fists clenched.

Shirou pressed his lips tight.

Melody snapped, "Shirou!"

He jerked, whipping towards her. "Sorry. What?"

"Can't you check what's going on with everyone? See how good her chances are."

"She'll do fine. I don't need magic to figure that out." He turned his focus towards Emi.

Rai hissed, "Quiet. They're about to start."

Riku stepped forward. "Emi. Are you ready to take the Mark of Mastery exam, and prove your worth as a Keyblade wielder?"

Emi swallowed, then nodded. "I am."

"Then let's start. The first task is combat." He summoned Way to the Dawn.

Emi's eyes snapped wide.

"You will show your skill against me. The match will last five minutes, or until someone is unable to continue. Aqua, Mickey, and I will judge your performance after the completion of the exam. Are you ready?"

Emi summoned her Keyblade and nodded.

"Go!"

Emi started, then eyed Riku and lunged. She stabbed.

Riku parried and sent Emi off balance.

Shirou and Rai winced.

Melody muttered, "Not a good start."

Emi caught herself and spun, her Keyblade swinging towards Riku's head.

He parried.

A small fireball formed at the tip of Emi's blade.

Riku's eyes snapped wide. He ducked, letting the Dark Firaga fly past.

Rai whispered, "Is that allowed?"

Shirou shrugged.

Melody said, "I mean, they _do_ want to test combat. I'm pretty sure that means _everything_."

Riku swept low, swinging his Keyblade towards her midsection.

Emi's Keyblade swept low to parry, then rode Way to the Dawn towards Riku's chest. Riku parried, and Emi disengaged, swinging towards the other side of Riku's chest, then dipping low towards his legs at the last minute.

Riku leapt backwards and reset his stance.

Emi pressed forward, summoning a Thunder spell, forcing Riku to move. She feinted an overhead strike, then swept her Keyblade towards Riku's side and landed a touch.

Riku called, "Good! But don't stop now."

Emi nodded.

Melody whispered, "Is he taking it easy on her? He hasn't even made an attack yet."

Rai snorted. "No kidding. He's been a Keyblade Master for a long time, so obviously he can't go all out. It's supposed to test her, not, you know, _destroy_ her."

"Well then why not have her fight one of us?"

"Because we probably wouldn't be good enough to get a gauge of her skill."

"And," Shirou added, "because Riku can get a better idea fighting her himself."

"Hey," Lea interrupted.

The three apprentices jumped.

Lea stood next to them, arms folded, still watching the match. "Maybe you guys should be quiet and just watched how she does. I'm sure you whispering over here isn't helping."

They exchanged glances, then straightened, focusing on the fight.

Riku switched to the offensive, swinging his weapon in a barrage of strikes.

Emi swept her Keyblade around rapidly, parrying and retreating. She caught Riku's blade and forced it upwards, then switched to a downward stab, forming a Dark Firaga on the tip of her blade.

Riku ducked to the side and freed his blade.

Emi swept and parried to the side, then reset her stance.

The two circled. Emi lunged first.

Riku side-stepped, stabbing, and Emi ducked, swinging her weapon around. Riku slammed Way to the Dawn into her Keyblade, pinning it.

Emi released her weapon, re-summoning it and moving in for a surprise attack.

Melody pumped her fist.

The fight lasted a while longer—dodging and parrying and lunging with sporadic magic thrown into the mix—before Aqua called, "Time's up!"

Riku and Emi stepped apart. They saluted, then released their weapons.

Emi glanced towards the other apprentices.

Shirou smiled and nodded, while Melody flashed her a thumb's-up.

Emi's shoulders relaxed.

"Very good," Riku said. "We'll discuss the results later. Now, we have your second task." He glanced towards Aqua, but she motioned for him to continue. "There's a special potion Merlin has prepared in Camelot. In order to pass your exam, you'll have to go and find the potion."

Aqua added, "Riku, Mickey and I will be keeping tabs on you throughout, but you likely won't see us. The results of this quest and the fight you just completed will determine if you pass."

Emi nodded, stark white but stone faced.

"We'll set out immediately. You have until the end of the day today." Aqua turned away, gesturing for Emi to follow.

Mickey offered her an encouraging grin and hurried after her.

Emi hesitated, flashing a glance to her friends, then followed, Riku picking up the rear.

The room remained quiet for several moments. Lea stretched. "Well. Not much else to do around here right now. Might as well give you guys the day off."

Rai asked, "Really?"

Melody grinned. "Hey, that means we can go get ice cream, right?"

"Ice cream? While our friend's taking the biggest test of her life?"

"It's not like worrying's going to help her. Or us. We can get some for her to celebrate later."

Sora looked absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Hey, Shirou? You in?"

"I'll catch up in a minute." He hurried towards Sora as his master turned to leave. "Sora!"

He jerked, then turned, an easy smile crossing his face. "Hey, I thought you'd want to head off with the others?"

Shirou hesitated. A shadow had entered his mentor's eyes, and he wasn't entirely focusing on him. _Does he need this right now?_ He shook his head and focused. "I might have a suspect for who's causing the Heartless problem."

Sora whipped towards him, the shadow suddenly gone. "You do?"

"There was this guy." Shirou narrowed his eyes. "Covered in a cloak. He appeared last night, in the training fields, then just disappeared." He hesitated, then added, "He said something about 'other versions' of me."

Sora's eyes widened marginally, his smile faltering for a split second, before he recovered. "He must've just been talking about different memories of you." The words came too quick, and he continued, "I'll let Aqua know, though. It'll be good to keep an eye on things."

Shirou frowned, but nodded.

Sora said, "Hey, relax. We'll figure out who's doing this. In the meantime, go have fun with your friends." He turned away, his smile beginning to fall, and left.

Shirou considered following him.

Xion said, "He's not going to tell you, you know."

Shirou jumped, and whipped towards her.

Her shoulders drooped. "He still reminds me a little bit of Roxas, sometimes."

"Do you know what's bothering him?"

"Not entirely."

Shirou raised an eyebrow.

Xion met his gaze, and opened her mouth, then closed it quickly and looked away. "Why don't you go and hang with the others?"

"Xion."

She sighed. "I don't know much more than you, Shirou." More quietly, she added, "I'm sorry."

Shirou frowned. "It's fine. Do you want to stay materialized? It's not the same as actually having ice cream with friends, but." He shrugged.

Xion flashed him a more honest smile. "Yeah. I'd like that."

 **-The** sun cast bright orange light through the windows of the main hall. Sora stood where he had earlier that day, hands folded behind his back. He cast a glance towards the doorway. Emi had returned, standing stock-straight in the room's center, but Riku, Aqua, and Mickey had yet to reappear.

Lea fidgeted. He opened his mouth, closed it, and finally sighed and offered Emi an encouraging smile.

The apprentices still stood at the hall's side. Melody and Rai exchanged glances. Shirou kept his gaze focused on the floor.

Emi's expression remained impassive, but her hands shook, and a few beads of sweat dribbling down her face. The fading light cast her shadow far behind her and highlighted the worry creasing her eyes in orange-and-yellow.

Footsteps approached them. Riku led the way, follow by Aqua and Mickey.

Sora tried to catch their attention as they passed, but they continued, serious.

Aqua and Mickey stopped a short ways ahead of Sora and Lea, leaving Riku to approach Emi.

She stared, her head jerking upward, but otherwise didn't budge.

"Emi," Riku said, for a moment his features still stern. "After much deliberation, we've decided you've shown the Mark of Mastery."

Emi relaxed, a disbelieving smile working its way onto her face.

"Yes!" Melody whooped, followed by Rai quickly silencing her.

Riku's posture relaxed. "Congrats. You've earned it."

"Th-thank you." Emi's eyes shone.

"Master Emi," Riku continued, and Emi straightened, "Aqua and I will speak to you later about what your new rank entails."

"But for now," Aqua said, stepping forward, "we'll celebrate. You're only the second apprentice to be made a master after the Second Keyblade War. It's a major milestone, that will hopefully signify further success in the future."

Melody flashed a thumb's up, while Rai smiled uncertainly. Shirou, in shadow behind them, nodded, a determined expression crossing his face.

Riku said, "You can go see your friends now. We'll talk to you tonight."

Emi nodded, then turned and hurried to the other apprentices.

Melody slung an arm around her shoulders. "So, _Master_ Emi, what are we going to do first?"

"Huh?"

"To celebrate."

Emi looked flustered.

Aqua turned away, speaking to Mickey.

Sora hurried towards them.

Shirou glanced at him, eyes seeming to pierce him, before turning to offer Emi his own congratulations.

"Aqua. I need to speak to you."

She turned to him. "Hmm? What about?"

"About a lot of things."

Mickey asked, "Is this about the Heartless?"

"That's—that's a major part of it, yeah. Can we walk?"

Aqua glanced at Mickey. "Sure." She and the mouse king followed him from the main hall.

The stone walls of the Land of Departure surrounded them, seeming almost warm in the light. Sora kept in step beside his companions, keeping a small line of magic attached to both. Their concern pulsed quietly across the link.

"So," Aqua said, "I'm assuming you have a suspect?"

"Shirou said someone came here and talked to him last night."

Aqua furrowed her eyebrows when he paused. "That—that is strange, yes, and we should investigate—"

"He told Shirou he knew about other versions of him."

The silence pressed around them, deafening, as dark as the shadow they'd stopped in.

Sora continued, "I think it might've been the same person who was looking for me—or at least, he has some strange connection to Shirou's home world. Aqua, I need to go back there."

Aqua pursed her lips, looking away.

"Sora," Mickey asked, "are you sure that's a good idea? It didn't react well to you last time."

"I know. I didn't want to go back, but something's not right." Sora clenched his fists. "It's the best clue we have right now."

Aqua said, "No, it's not."

Sora flashed her a surprised look.

Mickey asked, "Aqua, are you sure?"

"I was going to tell him anyways."

"Tell me what?"

Aqua slowly met his gaze. "You know if this person is talking about other versions, he's probably talking about memories."

Sora started. "Y-yeah, I mean. Probably."

Aqua wrung her hands. "We've discussed this before, I know, but there are very few people who can access a world's heart and memories. And there's one person who might be willing to do that right now."

Sora searched her gaze.

"Do you remember, years ago, when I said I would visit the Puppet Master to try and find answers on the sentient worlds?"

A shiver ran down Sora's spine. "Yes."

"In order to do that, I had to make him a deal."

Sora stiffened. His hands clenched. Aqua's regret and frustration and steely resolve fluttered across the link. "What did you do?"

"I promised to take him from the Realm of Sleep, on occasion, and with supervision."

Sora stared.

"He's never alone, so I never figured he'd be able to get away with something. But it's possible that he's able to do something remotely."

Sora cast a glance at Mickey.

The King's expression fell.

Aqua continued, "I was going to wait until after the celebrations tonight and reveal it to everyone else—primarily you, Lea, and Emi."

"Really. I had the same plan, myself." He fixed Aqua with a hard look. "I want Shirou to go on a solo mission to that new world we found."

Aqua stiffened. "Sora, you know we can't—"

"Riku and I did it, and we were much less experienced. Ven did it, too, if I remember right."

Aqua's eyes flickered. Pain flickered across the link momentarily.

Sora's eye twitched, but he kept his mouth closed.

The emotions fluttering from Aqua's heart changed from pain to curiosity to suspicion to understanding. "You want him out of the way when you go to his world."

"I want him occupied, yes. But I might not need to go to his world anymore."

Mickey asked, "What do you mean?"

His throat went dry. Phantom images fluttered across his eyes. "I'm going to talk to the Puppet Master."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Wonder how the childhood crush started about._ – Haha, she'll never tell. Or actually admit to it.

 **phuxeds:** _So Saber is going to be summoned, which is interesting, but what I'm interested in is whether Saber's existence is outside of the "universes" that we're mingling with here. If she is, she may know Shirou from F/SN. I guess probably not though, since the timeframe of the war is the same, so even if she did exist outside everything it would be "a Saber before she met Shirou in F/SN"_ – Yeah, it's pretty much like you said at the end there.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Okay Sora worried and distracted, Aqua coming clean is good, Heartless getting stronger is worrisome, and some one who knows of Shirou's alternates(there are so many now!) is trying to subtly draw him into the war by dangling info bait in front of him. Not a lot of good news for the characters really..._ – Not a whole lot. On the bright side, Emi past her Mark of Mastery exam. Yay?

 **ultima-owner:** _I hope they pass the marks of mastery_ – Wish granted!

 **brave kid:** _Nice chapter buddy_ – Thanks! I really appreciate it.

 **Aburg76:** _Nice scene with Shirou and that mysterious person, anything like that would leave a person doubting and confused. Was that Archer or Alya, or was that the puppet Master screwing with him. Hopefully I am wrong on all accounts and you have someone else in mind._ – Thanks! I can't really confirm or deny anything on that right now, but this certainly isn't the last we'll see of them.

 **SoraFan:** _Nope,I checked most of the comments,an overwhelming amount of them was talking about you nerfing Sora. Only the more recent ones,compose of mostly Nasuverse fans, defended Kirei as a reaction to the previous comments. I checked both Kirei and Sora ability and Sora far outclassed him by miles in speed/strength/durability. Sending the rock titan flying and destroying skyscraper with a single slash of his blade is far beyond destroying trees. Being able to react to over thousands of laser shots from all direction is above someone capable of beating "true assassin" whose speed is only around mach 10 with mach 50 reaction speed. Even if you deny that those things are actually laser there're still many feats that put Sora at bare minimum mach 1000. Still,it's your story and you're free to do what you want with it,but if you wish to attract more KH fans like myself,at least make Sora lose with more dignity then what is shown here._ \- …While I want to believe you've already checked this out, the fact that you put this review for chapter seventeen kind of makes me wonder, so I'm going to direct you to the guest review in chapter 32 just in case, as it gives my reasoning for why I wrote the scene as I did. (Also, I'm confused as to why you thought he lost the fight…?) If you have noticed continued problems with power scaling in recent chapters, however, please let me know so I can work on it a bit more.

 **Server lock:** _I'm losing interest at this point, and I can't pinpoint why, Maybe it's because you haven't really built up rin to be a character of interest in the story, and that's why I can't seem to care about her at the moment._ – I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not sure if by 'character of interest' you mean Rin hasn't been a main character so far, or if you mean that I've characterized her poorly. I'm guessing you meant the latter, but I'd like to make sure.

 **Paxloria:** _Deal? Hmph! That Cloaked person didn't help at all and yet expects a dangerous payment in exchange for doing nothing but muttering ominus riddles._ – Yep. He's like that. Too bad it's not going to be so easy for Kiritsugu to get rid of him. _Sora is even more broken than Shirou._ – In some ways? Perhaps.

 _If you have any thoughts on the chapter, please let me know!_


	44. Wisps

_Here's chapter forty – four. Thank you UNKNOWNGPX, RedRat8, Parks98, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, 21klaresh, Paxloria, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Four: Wisps**

Shirou moved through the hallways of the Land of Departure. He fingered Kairi's good luck charm—still strung around his neck and tucked under his shirt, though he'd sometimes switch it to a pack or pocket during missions—while his mind wandered.

Xion followed a few paces behind, quiet, solemn.

Shirou knocked on Aqua's door.

"Come in."

Aqua and Sora stood in the office. Sora turned to him with a tight smile.

Aqua's expression remained unreadable. "Sora tells me he thinks you should go on a solo mission."

"Yes." Shirou touched her heart, and noticed something of a wall shielding her emotions, the suspicion and trepidation worming underneath only faintly detectable.

"I've discussed this with him." She cast a sideways glance towards the other master. "You understand that this is a major task, right? Sora and Riku only went in blind out of necessity."

"I know." His magic tentatively searched for cracks and weaknesses in her heart's defense, pulling back occasionally so she wouldn't get suspicious.

"Then I should ask you what _you_ want."

That caught him off guard, and he paused his examination. He considered his answer, then started again, slowly. "I think it would be a good learning experience." _And it might give me some time to sort out my thoughts._

Aqua searched his expression.

Shirou's face remained impassive. He asked, "What is this actually about?"

Aqua's eye twitched slightly, but the question had the desired effect: a crack appeared in her defenses. He wormed his magic through, pushing gradually.

Aqua said, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. Exploring the worlds about this, alone, is something typically reserved for Keyblade Masters—especially ones we haven't documented yet."

He believed her—or, at least, he believed those were the reasons she'd yet to send him out. He asked, "Then why are you trying to hide your tension from me?" It flooded across the small link, anticipation and anxiety and a careful, calculating consideration that swiftly changed to shock. The barrier slammed back into place, and Shirou released his magic.

Aqua shot a glare towards Sora. "I thought you'd taught him some manners."

Sora didn't answer, but he fixed Shirou with a sharp look.

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away briefly, then focused on Aqua. "There's something you're not telling me."

Aqua studied him, then released a heavy sigh. "Yes, there is. And it's something I'd prefer no one was involved in just yet. Not until we see what happens."

Shirou flashed a look between Sora and Aqua. Sora's expression was impassive, and Shirou suspected he was trying to hide how troubled he was about some topic.

"In the meantime," Aqua said, "I'm going to allow this trip, this once. I'm giving you the day to prepare. If this goes well, then we might implement something similar for training future apprentices." She turned to Sora, indicating an end to the discussion.

Shirou dipped his head after a moment and turned.

Sora caught his gaze. The passive expression had fallen, revealing something more troubled and sad. He mouthed 'I'm sorry,' then turned back to Aqua, the expression fading slightly.

Shirou left.

His footsteps seemed oddly loud. "You stayed the whole time."

Xion said, "Yes."

He fixed her with a questioning look.

She wrung her hands.

"Don't start keeping things from me, too."

"I'm sorry. It's just," she paused, face contorting. "Sorry. I wanted to know what they'd say."

"About?"

"About that man you talked to."

Shirou started.

"I'm worried." She flashed him a wide-eyed look.

"If this is about what he said—" He broke off, glancing over Xion's shoulder.

Melody and Rai were hurrying towards him.

Xion followed his gaze, then disappeared, flashing him a look that he'd learned meant, 'We'll talk later.'

"Hey!" Melody skidded to a halt. "You seen the new master around?"

"Melody," Rai grumbled, "we have history lessons in a few minutes."

"No," Shirou answered. "She might've already gone out on a mission."

Melody sighed, started to pass him, then paused. "You look ruffled by something."

Shirou blinked.

Rai quirked an eyebrow. "Where _were_ you earlier this morning?"

Shirou's shoulders fell. "I'm going on a solo mission to a new world."

"Really?" Melody exclaimed. "That's great!"

"It might be, if it weren't being used as a distraction."

Rai and Melody exchanged glances. Rai asked, "Distraction for what?"

"I don't know."

Rai folded his arms.

Melody asked, "This is about Sora, right? What if we found out for you?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow.

"How," Rai asked, "are we going to do that? Our resident Heart mage can't figure it out, and he can basically read minds."

"Emotions," Melody corrected. "And we have an insider."

"You're not seriously thinking about roping Emi into this."

Melody was already moving, saying, "We'll find her soon and bug her! Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Melody!" Rai shouted. He released an exasperated sigh and hurried after her. "Hey! We still have class!"

Shirou watched them go, and realized a moment later an amused smile had crawled onto his lips. He laughed and, tension lightened a bit, returned to his room.

 **-Sora** drummed his fingers on the library table. Shirou would be leaving soon, and he wanted to be there to see him off, but so far he'd learned very little on his search for other heart magic users.

Though he'd never studied his magic specialty on any sort of academic level, he'd learned much of the strengths and weakness on his own. However, he was well aware there had to be more before him—he knew Xehanort was one, in his younger years, or at least had something similar—and their records may offer answers. Unfortunately, heart magic proved rare enough that only scattered accounts appeared throughout the texts he'd found.

He rubbed his temples. _With three heart mages over the last several decades, you'd think they'd be considered a_ bit _less rare—or at least common enough to have something more written on them. Us._ He paused. _I suppose Shirou counts, too, but I'm pretty sure I affected that._ A faded image of a man in red flashed through his mind. _His true self doesn't have anything to do with heart magic, from what I saw._

He started when footsteps approached.

Emi stopped a short distance away, rubbing her arm. "Um, hi."

"Something I can help you with?"

Emi hesitated, then glanced at Sora's books. "What are you reading?"

"Just some stuff for a project Aqua and I are doing. I'm sure you'll hear about it before long." He cast her a curious glance.

Emi fidgeted. "S-so, um, I heard Shirou's going on a solo mission to a new world."

"Yeah."

"Why?" The word came out too quickly, and she hurriedly added, "I mean, not that it's any of my business, but it seems dangerous, so it just seems weird, and—" She broke off, fidgeting with her shirt.

Sora sighed, about to reassure her, when something rustled behind a bookcase. He frowned, activating his heart magic and sending out a few tendrils. Emi's nerves pulsed through one strand; two other hearts pinged from behind a bookcase.

Sora released the magic. "Melody. Rai. Come out."

Silence hovered a few moments. The two apprentices slowly appeared, Melody looking defiant, Rai frustrated.

Sora lifted an eyebrow. "I can't imagine this was Shirou's idea."

Emi and Rai both looked at Melody.

The fiery apprentice stood straighter. "We know there's something up, so we're going to get to the bottom of it."

"Melody, relax. We just may have a lead on who's stirring up the Heartless. I'm going to talk to him. That's all." A bitter taste filled his mouth, and his fingers curled into the table.

Emi asked quietly, "Then why do you need to send Shirou out?"

Sora wasn't quite sure how to answer that—not when he knew the apprentices would go straight to his with the information. "I don't know if it _is_ necessary," he said finally. "I—might be going on a solo mission myself, soon. Or maybe not, depending on how this next meeting goes." He turned away.

Melody asked, "Why? Who are you talking to?"

"The Puppet Master."

All three fell silent.

Sora took a deep breath and offered them a grin. "Anyways, I've got some more research to do before then. Why don't you guys go ahead and find Shirou? I'll be out to see him off."

Melody looked like she wanted to protest, but Rai tugged her away.

Emi hesitated, casting Sora an uncertain look. She finally followed the others.

Sora's shoulders fell. He rubbed his temples. "Right. Where was I?" He turned back to his book.

 _Heart mages are more often created than born. While all individuals must have something of a malleable heart, the ability to actually use the magic is unlocked when:_

 _An individual's magic is unlocked._

 _An individual connects very powerfully and intimately to another heart while using that magic._

 _This heart does not necessarily be an individual, as earning the trust of an individual world can also unlock a limited version of heart magic._

Sora leaned back, exhaling deeply. _Perhaps Shirou's magic isn't so different, after all._ The image of a field filled with blades filled his mind, and he wasn't sure if it was Keyblades or actual swords.

Sora rubbed his temples. _So how did the Puppet Master get his magic, I wonder?_ He pressed his lips thin, and continued reading, ignoring his shaking hands and pale knuckles.

 **-Shirou** examined the world. Trees towered above him, casting the ground in deep shadows.

His friends and mentor had seen him off—Melody had apologetically informed him that they hadn't found anything beforehand, and the small group of three clustered around Shirou, making him promise to tell them all about it. Sora had only offered, "Good luck" and a second "Sorry." Then he'd grinned awkwardly and cracked a few jokes, the forced humor hiding the uncertainty that bounced around his heart.

Shirou shook his head. _My mission's to explore the world and give a report on inhabitants, layout, and Heartless level._ He realized suddenly how massive that task would be. He sighed. _It'll be a long time before I can head back._ His heart twisted uncomfortably.

Something blue flickered in the corner of his eye. A small, flame-like ball hovered in the air a short distance away.

Shirou frowned, examining it.

A small trail of the flames sprang to life behind it.

Shirou walked to the first. It shied away from his touch and disappeared. He jolted. Cautiously he activated his heart magic, extending it towards one of the flames. Something warm registered, but little more.

He glanced about. Nothing else stirred in the woods.

He turned back towards the flames and moved towards the second. It disappeared much like the first; another flame appeared at the end of the visible trail. Shirou snorted, then continued, more confident, but with his hand held ready to summon Vir, his magic trailing short distances around him in search of life.

The flames lead him over roots and around brambles, through ferns and around tall, dark pines. The trees broke, leaving the wispy flames to cross open grass towards a large ring of stones.

Shirou hesitated.

The nearest flame wavered, glowing brighter, a more obvious light amidst the gray sky and muted grass.

Shirou took a step, the wet grass clinging to his legs.

The flame disappeared, sending a brief blue spark into the air.

Shirou crossed the space, the only sound his rustling movement, until he reached the stone structure. The last of the flames disappeared. He frowned. "Hello?" Nothing registered with his magic. He took a few more cautious steps. "Why did those things make a trail here?"

A heart appeared behind him.

He whipped around, Vir appearing, just as a voice answered, "Perhaps they had something important they wanted to show you."

Shirou's eyes widened.

The man he'd spoken to a few nights prior—still hooded, only now relaxing near a stone—stood nearby. The man's head tilted. "Why are you here?"

Shirou lifted Vir. The man's heart seemed muted, shrouded by darkness. He searched for a weakness, but the ever-changing cover made him uncomfortable, cold.

"You think I'm a threat now? You're mistaken. We have more in common than you think."

"Are you the cause of the Heartless acting up?"

"Am I? Can't you tell with that special heart magic of yours?"

Shirou jolted.

"Oh, but perhaps you can't read mine. I am rather special, after all. Much like yourself."

Shirou tensed.

The figure glanced aside. After a moment he asked, "Do you ever think of your home?"

"What?"

"Where you first came into existence. Do you ever wonder how it's doing? How people there are getting along, and if they even remember you?" Something wistful entered the man's voice. "Do you ever wonder why no one ever talks about it? Never goes back?"

Shirou's Keyblade lowered slightly.

The man's attention switched to something behind him. "Perhaps there's great darkness you're unaware of."

Another heart—filled with darkness, feral—blazed into existence behind Shirou. He whipped around, just as the figure's heart disappeared, to find a massive, dark bear rearing over him.

* * *

 _Okay, that's going to be it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **UNKNOWNGPX:** _This is something that I thought about as I got ready for the day but what is Keyblader Shirou's last name?_ – Honestly? Even I'm not sure—largely because I've never stopped to figure out what Sora's would be. Feel free to insert headcanons.

 **RedRat8:** _Sora you know better than that to hide the fact that you are going back to Shirou's home-world with a rather questionable fellow._ – To be fair, Sora's not actually going to Shirou's world _with_ the Puppet Master—just talking to him about it. _It feels like I am reading filler half of the time and I kind of really wanted to know what is going on….And also I felt like most of the character save for the few Fate cast that do get the limelight have never really developed so far….Sorry for the criticism but that is how I feel so far in the last couple of chapters and the like._ – Don't worry about it; that's fair. There _is_ a lot of set-up I've been doing for something very, very big down the road—like, I've been laying the groundwork for it since chapter one. However, in regards to how I've actually handled the spacing? Not the best. You'd be justified in feeling like the Wonderland chapters were filler as, while there was _some_ plot stuff in there, the purpose was mostly to introduce how the four apprentices work together. Things _should_ pick up soon—and, hopefully, your worries about character development with them, as there's quite a bit I have planned in the latter part of this story.

 **Parks98:** _How exciting Emi is now a master, shirou is gonna go to a new world ( please let it be any of the following: Brave, how to train your dragon, or the death start aka Star Wars!) and Sora is going to meet with the Puppet Master._ – The part that I find most amusing about this review is that you guessed that Shirou would be going to a world based on _Brave_ literally the chapter before he arrived.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Sora trying to shoulder the burden is so like him, though I expect Shirou, like Ven, to disobey and return to his home world anyways. Come to think of it, of the KH characters, Shirou is closest to Ven in terms of history at this point of the story._ – Actually, the similarity to Ven is interesting to think about—especially since Ven's purpose (well, with Xehanort) was the help create the X-blade, and canon Shirou has such an intimate connection with blades. _Also, saw the comment on how Sora is too broken power wise. I say the opposite. This Sora is a combination of years of battle experience and mentally destabilising incidents prior to Shirou, and is what I would expect Sora to be like years after the canon KH timeline as a whole. Broken is justified if you realise how many enemies with reality altering skills he's faced so far._ – Fair point—and actually a little along the lines of what I was thinking of when writing him this way.

 **ultima-owner:** _I think the talk will be so tense you will be able to cut the tension in the air with a knife_. – I am incredibly excited for this talk to happen for exactly that reason.

 **21klaresh:** _Just making a point. I like Kirei as much as the next guy. But comparing Kirei to powerhouses like Leon and Cloud is ridiculous. Cloud has fought monsters like Sephiroth to a stand still, shrugged off impalement and fatal injuries from Sephiroth multiple times, cuts through skyscraper like they were made out of paper. Its like comparing Yuffie to Gilgamesh. I don't really have a problem with Kirei fight. Considering Kirei is martial arts master and bullet timer. He probably could hold his own against Sora for at least a few minutes. That seems to be about how long the fight lasted. Not trying to be rude. But comparing Kirei to Cloud is just ridiculous. With Cloud's numerous inhuman feats. Kirei cannot compete with Cloud._ – Alright, fair point. Also, I'd like to thank you for checking the response at chapter 32 before responding (or, at least, I'm assuming you did, considering the chapter you reviewed on)—I am extremely appreciative about that.

 **Paxloria:** _I'm gonna go looking for the sequal now! At least you SAID that there was a sequal, this story doesn't seem to be ended and there's no hint here that it IS the end..._ – I don't remember saying there was a sequel to this story at any point? It's definitely not over yet, though.

 **Joachim Armster:** _I would have liked to have seen more xion as according to the dream sequence she is an important character and it would have been nice to see how their relationship would change over 10 years?_ – Yeah, I kind of intended to include her more originally. She _will_ be appearing more in the next couple of chapters. _I found the combat test to be unfullfilling. All it tested was her offense and her ability to recover from a failed attack. There was nothing to test her defence or really her creativity on the battlefield. It was also very straight forward, when riku in particular has alot of surprising abilities he could have used to throw her off while still holding back. On the positive side it was well written and showed off how shirou has grown in relation to his powers._ – With the fight, I ended up focusing a lot more on the blade work mostly because I've been trained in sword fighting, so because I actually _know_ how this works, I wanted to make extra sure it come through in the writing. On the downside, that meant I kind of pulled back on the magic part, and that was a mistake. Thank you for the compliment, though.

 _Any thoughts on the chapter? Drop a review and let me know!_


	45. How to Change Your Fate

_Here's chapter forty – five. Thank you Aburg76, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, ultima-owner, bowser3000000, Paxloria, OrionGold, and kewllewk for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Five: How to Change Your Fate**

Shirou whipped around, lifting Vir and backpedaling. He tried to quell his surprise and fear—the bear's own emotions, now barreling over the magical link, made that more difficult, filled with darkness and a mindless, uncontrolled rage.

 _It's not a Heartless._

The bear charged; Shirou turned aside, slashing it as it paused.

 _But its darkness is probably going to attract them._

The bear skidded to a halt, turning.

Shirou focused and sent determination, full force, over the link, hoping to break through the bear's rage and stall it.

It paused, head cocked, eyes gleaming. It sniffed and growled quietly.

Shirou inhaled and exhaled slowly, pressing the determination.

The bear shook his head, then roared and charged again.

Shirou's eyes snapped wide a moment, then he moved, snapping Vir into the ground and flinging dirt into the bear's eyes. He scrambled aside while the bear skidded to an unceremonious halt, shaking its head.

The bear's nose twitched, its head whipping back and forth.

Shirou took a deep breath and focused. The magical connection narrowed and refined. He took a few paces, then moved, sprinting towards the bear and swiping its rear right leg.

The bear whipped towards him, snarling, but he'd already moved, striking the bear's left shoulder and leaping out of range. He swept Vir towards the bear's side and moved again, jumping back when the bear lunged, claws slamming the ground.

The rage intensified. The bear reared.

Shirou hurried back, transforming Vir and shooting an energy arrow.

The arrow struck the bear's stomach, but it hardly faltered, landing with a crash, dirt and grass flying everywhere.

Shirou glanced at the rocks, then released Vir, jumping and making an attempt to scramble up one's side. His fingers caught in some niches in the stone, and he kicked, boosting himself higher, but they could quite reach the stone's top. He kicked again, reaching higher.

Pain shot through his leg. His fingers slipped, and he nearly hit his head off the rock; his hands slammed the side and flung him aside.

Grass and dirt filled his mouth and his vision filled with spots. The bear swung, and the ripping pain through his leg intensified; he gripped the ground with his fingernails, but they slid through the dirt easily. He summoned Vir, turning quickly and firing an arrow at the bear's eyes. The arrow hit its jaws instead, and he fired a second, this one just above the eye, slamming the bear with a wave of foreign emotions and pain at the same instance.

The bear released, roaring, and Shirou scrambled backwards. He allowed the full force of the pain to bear across the link while he tried and failed to stand, his leg giving out beneath him and blood staining his leg. He pulled a potion from his pack, silently praying that the bear would remain distracted, and drank it. The pain abated slightly; the bleeding mostly stopped; the wound knitted itself closed, save for a few shallow puncture wounds.

"Better be careful," called a voice.

The cloaked figured sat on one of the stone pillars. He tilted his head. "Or your fate may change in ways you don't want."

Shirou stared at him, wide-eyed, a few moments, then focused on the bear when it shook itself and refocused.

Shirou scrambled to his feet and dashed behind one of the pillars. He kept moving, keeping his magic center on the bear, and weaved through the pillars, the bear crashing after him.

"You've done all this training," the figure continued, "and for what? You will do the same thing all Keybearers have done, and will do, for generations."

Shirou turned and fired an arrow at the charging bear.

"You can't even use magic right. Did you ever wonder _why_?"

The bear changed tactics, breaking into a straight charge across the clearing. Shirou skidded to a halt, turned back the other direction, and circled around the stone, firing an arrow.

"You wanted to honor their deaths, didn't you?"

Shirou froze. Heat crept up his neck. His hands shook.

The bear's rage made him focus. He fired a few more arrows, backpedaling rapidly.

"How does this do any of that? When you've forgotten your own home? Your own origin? What about the people you made promises to? Do they not matter to you any longer?"

The bear gained ground.

Shirou turned Vir back into blade form, lifting to swing at the bear's muzzle, and suddenly found himself pressed against stone.

"But I suppose I should expect nothing else from a mere _shade._ " Real venom entered the figure's voice. "A _memory_ of the person you could have become."

The bear slammed its head into Shirou's chest, pressing him against the rock, it's teeth digging into flesh.

Shirou screamed. His vision contorted. His hearing buzzed. He turned Vir and slammed it into the bear's skull.

"But very well. If you live, may you continue this pointless path, easing your guilt even as you know this can never redeem you."

" _Enough!_ " Shirou opened the link fully and slammed it into the bear—rage and pain and frustration and guilt. He stabbed the back of the bear's neck.

The bear released him, shaking its head and scrambling backwards.

Shirou fell, for a moment too stunned to do anything. He fumbled at his bag, his vision spotty, searching for a potion.

The figure said, "Can you really deny my words?"

Shirou hesitated. He transformed Vir, turned the weapon, and fired.

The energy arrow buzzed towards the figure, who disappeared before it even hit. His voice echoed back: _"There's a way to change things, you know. Something big is coming. You can fix the mistakes of the past."_

Shirou dragged a potion free, fumbling with the cork, his hands shaking while he lifted it. Drops splashed onto his cheeks and shirt, pale green mixing with red on his stomach. Warmth flowed towards the wound, swimming beneath his skin, staunching the blood flow, winding around internal injuries and repairing skin wounds.

His vision and hearing still wouldn't clear.

He turned towards the bear and lifted Vir. He fired an arrow, and for a moment, it looked like several more had appeared, coming from a different direction.

Then he slid into unconsciousness.

 **-Sound** returned first. Voices—both female—drifted through his barely conscious mind. Shirou groaned, blinking, blurred shapes and colors appearing and slowly defining themselves.

The image of a furious bear flashed through his mind.

Shirou jerked into an upright position. The muscles tugged in his abdomen, and he grunted, clutching his side.

"Hey!" one of the voices protested. "You shouldn't be moving just yet."

A young girl with wild red hair stood nearby. An older woman stood behind him, and around them were bears—carvings, paintings, and other general bear memorabilia.

Shirou blinked, only managing to squeak a, "What?"

The girl said, "You're lucky I found you, or Mor'du would've got you for sure."

"Mor'du?"

"The bear."

He blinked, his mind turning for an answer. "You shot the arrows."

She nodded.

Shirou held his head.

"My name's Merida." She extended a hand.

Shirou accepted it hesitantly. "Shirou."

"Well," the old woman said, "this is all well and good, but what do you plan to do with him?"

"Me?"

"He can't stay _here_."

"And I can't take him back to the castle! My mother's already furious with me."

Shirou interrupted, "That's alright. I don't need to stay anywhere very long. I heal quickly." His hands went to his side, then paused.

"Looking for this?" Merida lifted his pack. "We had to take it off you to look at your wound."

The woman nodded. "Wasn't as bad as I thought, considering you scrapped with that ungrateful lug."

Shirou raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah," Merida added, "there was a man on top of one of the rocks, wasn't there? I know I saw someone, but he just disappeared."

Shirou stiffened.

 _"Do they not matter to you any longer?"_

 _They do!_

He offered a shrug. "I don't know who he is."

Merida raised an eyebrow, then huffed, "I suppose that's well enough." She glanced towards the old woman.

She sighed. "You want to keep talking about this, do you?"

"Of course! I've heard what you're actually a witch—"

"Hush!" The woman waved her hands.

Shirou smiled slightly.

 _"If you live, may you continue this pointless path, easing your guilt even as you know this can never redeem you."_

The screams that had never entirely left his nightmares returned as whispers in the back of his mind.

 _This is all I can do._

 _"But I suppose I should expect nothing else from a mere shade."_

 _What can you expect of me?_ His fingernails curled into his pants. _I can't save them! I made peace with that!_

 _"Did you ever wonder why?"_

Shirou inhaled and exhaled slowly.

 _"There's a way to change things, you know. Something big is coming. You can fix the mistakes of the past."_

He lowered his head, heat tingling his neck.

A door slamming jerked his attention back to the present. Merida was now missing, leaving him alone with the old woman.

"Poor girl," the woman muttered. "Wants so badly to have a different future. But I'm not sure why everyone thinks this'll help them." She eyed an empty potion bottle.

Shirou said, "You're a magic user."

"Shh!" She cast a glance about. "Not so loud! That's frowned upon, you know."

"It's alright. I am, too." He grinned ruefully. "It's how I survived, ah, Mor'du."

"Well, I guess that would explain something, wouldn't it?" The woman's shoulders relaxed.

Shirou twiddled his thumbs, glancing at one of the bear statues. "What does the potion do?"

"Eh? Well, it changes people's fates, of course! By turning them into bears." She laughed.

Shirou didn't answer.

The room grew quiet. The woman sat beside him, the bed creaking quietly. "Mor'du was my first customer, you know. He was a prince, once, but wanted so badly to become stronger. I gave him the potion. He got his wish, but now he's trapped that way." The woman tossed the bottle and caught it again, examining it in the gleaming light. "Changing fate always comes with a heavy price."

Shirou cast her a glance.

"You have something heavy weighing on your mind. I can see it in your eyes. And like our dear rebellious friend, you think I have the answers."

Shirou hesitated, considering his words. "Do you think it's right? Changing someone's fate, I mean."

"I couldn't say. It can be good or bad, but I'll tell you this—it doesn't come about from bottles and potions and magic. It comes about from the choices you make. It's the lesson Mor'du never learned, and the one I hope Merida does."

Shirou clasped his hands.

"So, are you like most of my customers, and want a different future? Dissatisfied with the path life's taken?"

He shook his head. "No. I've been very lucky. But I'm not sure I—" He broke off, unsure he wanted to voice the thought, and continued on a different path. "My mentor—my father, and my friends, and even myself have always expected the same thing of me, up until now. But there's—there's something going on. Someone who's made me rethink my choices, and—and made me think I should return to where I was born. That maybe I've been going about things all wrong."

The woman laughed. "Well, that's all very cryptic, isn't it?" She sobered. "Well, what do you think? You want a potion to make it better?"

He crinkled his nose. "I don't want to be a bear."

"Good." The woman pocketed the bottle. "Whatever you choose, there'll be consequences. Listen to your heart, and figure out where it leads you, so you aren't left with regret in the end."

Shirou absorbed the information and frowned.

"I didn't say it'd be easy. Give it some thought." The woman shrugged, then moved. "Oh, go send that girl in, and tell her I'll make her a potion."

Shirou started.

"Eh, some people just need a kick in the pants."

Shirou blinked, then chuckled, and stood. "Can I have my pack?" He extended a hand.

The woman glanced at it. "Oh, fine. But I want one of your healing potions as payment."

"Alright." He took a bottle from the pack. "For the wisdom."

"For the _healing_. Wisdom's free." The woman turned back to her task.

Shirou left.

Merida stood some distance away, shooting arrows into a tree.

"You have a good shot."

"Thanks."

"She said she'd make your potion."

Merida whipped around. "Really?"

Shirou nodded.

Merida grinned, her shoulders falling, arms hanging loose. "Oh, this'll solve _everything_!" She hurried past him.

"Wait!"

She stopped.

"Thanks for saving me. And I hope everything works out—with your 'fate'."

Merida smiled. "Thank you." She started to go again, then paused. "Oh, and I saw your necklace. Who'd you got that from?"

He lifted a hand and fingered the star, now hanging outside his shirt. "A friend of a friend. It's a good luck charm."

"I thought so. I've seen a few of the like around the castle. Supposed to ward off evil spirits." She turned and headed into the hut.

Shirou watched, waiting a few moments. Then, slowly, he turned, and walked away.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Sora meeting the puppet Master hopefully that isn't a disaster that is waiting to happen._ –Insert evil laughter here.- _Alright taking up his attention so that a bear can sneak up of Shirou's is this guy a messing with Shirou, genuinely trying to steer him to the 'correct' path or just manipulating the poor kid? Actually don't answer that._ – Well, I wasn't really planning on it, so…wish granted?

 **RedRat8:** _Though now that I think about it, aren't technically key-blades basically swords? And in a sense the X-Blade can be considered to be a sword as well? And Shirou is the Incarnation of Blades? I feel like that is a major reason for the Darkness to return and the likes._ – Maybe~

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _I'm drawing parallels to Ven again with Shirou, this time being Ven's first encounter with Vanitas._ – Good; that was done on purpose. _Also, malleable Heart? It does explains how Sora was able to house Ven, and the fact that Shirou had originally been left without memories, it did leave his Heart open for influence. Still the core of Shirou's magic is Sword. I'm trying to understand this, but can Heart Magic work along side the Nasuverse magic?_ – I don't know that heart magic would work quite the same under Nasuverse laws instead if Keyblade laws, but there _could_ , potentially, be a variation—but it _is_ an extremely rare magic form that doesn't usually develop much, so there haven't really been an 'true' heart mages in Gaia, apart from Shirou, whose situation is…questionable.

 **Parks98:** _But what really caught my attention was the fact that shirou knew or kinda knows about UBW. When exactly did this happen? That and I think it would funny if Sora mentioned it and Aqua would have a flash back to the the keyblade graveyard with Xehanort and Vanitus using the blades to attack._ – I'm guessing you meant that Sora knows? He caught glimpses of it connecting to EMIYA's heart while fighting him. And that'd certainly be interesting, wouldn't it?

 **ultima-owner:** _Ah yes the man turned bear that is so driven by greed and hate that the heartless must think he's Filet mignon just waiting to be cooked and served on a silver platter._ – Which Shirou certainly picks up on! Do note that despite the fact that Shirou didn't run into Heartless here, there _are_ plenty on the world.

 **bowser3000000:** _Is this Shirou would be capable of trace the X-Blade?_ – I will answer that no, he can't trace the X-blade; no Keyblades, including the X-blade, can be traced because of their otherworldly nature and intimate connection to other people's hearts.

 **Paxloria:** _I'm kinda curious about what would happen if: ~Shirou ended up participating in the 5th Grail War ~ Keyblader Shirou ever met Servant Emiya._ – Shirou will be _involved_ in the Grail War—but likely not in the manner people expect. As for the second, he will also be meeting his Servant self—and I am very excited for that moment. (Also, for the mixing up on stories: It's fine! It happens to everyone sometimes.)

 **OrionGold:** _I really hope that we see Shirou interact with the Fate/Stay Night cast and participate in the Holy Grail War next chapter because we're 44 chapters in and I feel like I'm still reading the prologue._ – I will freely admit that, despite the earlier chapters serving a purpose (and having a ridiculous amount of foreshadowing), it was still poorly executed. While he didn't interact with them this chapter, it's coming up soon—after about two more chapters, actually.

 **Kewllewk:** _From a narrative perspective, I can understand why you would make the fight against Kirei a significant struggle. From an objective one, however, there's absolutely no way Kirei can stand up to a serious Sora, for the simple fact that Sora has fought and beaten people that so outclass his capabilities that it's an insult to the entire Kingdom Hearts power levels to make Kirei this good._ – Just to cover all my bases, I'm going to direct you to the guest review at the end of chapter 32 for my reasoning (which you may have already read, but just in case). If there are issues of this sort continuing in more recent chapters, please inform me!

 _If you have any thoughts, questions, theories, criticisms, or anything of the like, please leave a review!_


	46. Broken Puppets

_Here's chapter forty – six. Thank you Kiri Kaitou Clover, Aburg76, RedRat8, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Six: Broken Puppets**

Sora opened his eyes slowly. The whirling, swirling colors of the Realm of Sleep warped around him. Vague forms and images shifted. In the distance, he thought he could make out what may have been worlds.

He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He took a few steps, legs surprisingly steady, casting his glance about. He didn't speak, footsteps completely silent.

He wasn't sure how long he walked before he sensed another heart nearby. He stalled.

Someone snorted. "No point to trying and trick you, is there?" A figure materialized, robe covering crossed legs, blond hair brushed back and gray eyes flickering.

Sora eyed him, suddenly unsure what to say.

"It's been a long time. Finally coming to visit? I'm flattered."

Sora didn't speak, voices hissing quietly in the back of his mind.

"Do you like the prison?" He gestured broadly about. "I suppose you didn't get to see it last time. Too busy falling apart, weren't you?"

Sora took a deep breath, stilling his shaking, ignoring the pounding in his chest, and focused.

"You're awfully quiet. Were you expecting someone else?" His face briefly appeared like Kairi's. "Do you ever regret shutting her out, all those years?"

Sora's clenched hands tightened.

The form shifted back to the Puppet Master's. "Amazing what I could do to you, isn't it? And back then, I couldn't even take a memory's _form_. I wonder what I could do now?" He grinned wickedly and turned into Riku. "You never could catch up, could you? Not even in battling the darkness—especially your own."

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and aimed it at the Puppet Master. A magical wall flared around his heart, a point speared in the direction of the Puppet Master's, waiting.

The Puppet Master, still in Riku's guise, blinked. "You'd really attack your friend? Well, I suppose you've fought me before. But I thought we were past that. Unless it's your Anti-Form acting up?"

Sora narrowed his eyes.

The fake Riku's expression hardened. "Fine. I'd prefer to do this as myself, anyways." The image shifted, and the Puppet Master's form returned, features harder, more serious.

"I have some questions for you."

"And if I don't answer them, are you going to stab me?" He nudged the Kingdom Key. "Perhaps your darkness really has gotten out of control."

His magic speared, quickly, into the Puppet Master's heart.

The man jerked, eyes stretched wide.

Sora pulled back, leaving one narrow, barely-noticeable line still attached. He suddenly realized he was shaking, sweat beading on his brow.

The Puppet Master clutched his chest. "Well, that's a new trick." His lips curled into a sneer. "So, you want to try that again? Shall I remind you what the cost to challenging me is?"

"I'm more experienced now, and I can leave here at any time. You can't." His voice wavered towards the end, and he tightened his grip on the Kingdom Key.

A wry grin spread across the Puppet Master's face. "So she _hasn't_ told you, has she? Well, allow me to—"

"I know about the walks."

The Puppet Master paused.

"And the Heartless."

The Puppet Master's eyebrow lowered a fraction. Faint, honest confusion flashed across the link. "You do, now."

Sora's guard lowered slightly. "You aren't the one."

The Puppet Master watched him.

"Then—who would be doing that?"

The other man laughed. "You think I'd try and manipulate _fallen_ hearts? I'm not that foolish. I've seen the outcome of those who try." His visage changed to a corrupt version of Riku, to Maleficent, and back to his own.

Sora recollected himself. "Then Shirou's world. You're the one working with her, aren't you?"

"Perhaps." A wall had crept around the walls of his heart, zeroing in on Sora's magic and wrapping around it, slowly crawling back up the path.

Sora cut the magic and made a few quick jabs.

The Puppet Master's eye twitched, but he maintained a neutral expression, his magic pushing towards Sora's.

Sora abruptly slammed the full force of his magic against the Puppet Master's.

The Puppet Master jerked, eyes snapping wide, magic pushed back. He struggled for a moment, then his expression contorted, becoming almost beast-like, furious. "Fine. If you want answers so badly, you may have them." He released his magic.

Images and emotions flooded into Sora's mind, and for a moment they overwhelmed him, barreling through the link with too much force to handle. Endless, swirling memories, of people the Puppet Master likely didn't know but had glimpsed here, in this Realm, mixed with images of what were clearly the man's past—a small child, playing with the grass and conversing with the world beneath his feet, arguing with other children, discovering he could 'borrow' friends from the one he lived on—and some from the man's present, an endless, mind-numbing, draining experience, where he at first couldn't entirely control the 'raw' energy of the Realm and sometimes lost himself to other memories. Where he learned how to meld the memories with his own and change form. Where he sometimes forgot he'd changed form at all. Where he had unlimited access to other worlds' memories, and their hearts, and had drawn several memories free to wreak havoc somewhere else, including several of Sora and his friends—anything to get back at the Keybearer who'd put him here.

Sora reeled backwards, cutting off the magic, but his mind still flicked with images, pain throbbing through his skull and chest, vision filled with memories he didn't have. He completely shut down his magic.

"You see," the Puppet Master growled, "I used to be, ah, what's the word they use for you? Ah, yes, 'special.' I was like that once, too. I could play with anyone I wanted, from any world I wanted, from any _time_ or _situation_ I wanted. Now imagine with me, for a moment, what it's like to discover someone else with similar abilities. How _curious_ you would be, to see how they might play."

Sora wasn't sure if he moved, his vision still filled with a very small child, shaking and shouting at some older children.

"But you broke so easily. You shared my powers, but you were _weaker_ than me, and yet _you_ get to go free, while I rot in here." He laughed. "But no one ever fixed you, did they? Whether because they _couldn't_ or you couldn't bring yourself to talk to them. Oh, don't worry. This isn't the _worst_ scenario, though it's far from the best. Did you know that if you asked Kairi to come with you, she would have? And that you wouldn't struggle so much with connecting with other hearts, like you do now? That'd you'd never have become like me?"

"I am _not_ like you."

"That creature you apprenticed would prove otherwise."

Sora stabbed the Kingdom Key downward, using it as a brace, and stood, slowly. The child stared back, terrified but defiant, imaginary individuals hovering close behind him, a kind world whispering friendly words into the child's ears.

"I'll say this—yes, I _did_ do something to his world. I released something there. I communicated with it. But it's funny how _hard_ it is to talk to _anything_ from here, and still maintain a sense of self."

The image of the child flickered, and now formed into a glaring, furious man.

"But you crossed a line. And that mistake is on you, alone."

Sora gritted his teeth.

"I thought you wanted answers? I'm giving them to you. I may have started this, but I am not the one who will finish it—I am not able, in the state I'm in now."

He paused, and a weight seemed to settle between them.

" _You_ will."

Sora's vision cleared. He blinked, absorbing the words slowly. "What?"

The Puppet Master grinned. "You. You are the answer."

Sora searched his gaze, then tensed and lifted the Kingdom Key again. "No games. What are you planning?"

The Puppet Master glanced away. "Maybe you should look into the Keyblade's history a bit more. Or your own. You might learn more there."

"Are you going to continue talking to Shirou's world?"

"My, you think you can also police who I converse with? But no." His shoulders fell slowly. "I don't need to anymore. She has her own grudges." He snorted, lowering his head. His shoulders shook, and, slowly, laughter bubbled from his quivering form.

Sora tensed and took a step back.

"Go! Go, enjoy your _freedom_ , as you call it. Leave me here to appease your guilty conscience."

"You—"

"You know that if you had any mercy, you would've just killed me years ago, not left me to this."

Sora gritted his teeth. "For someone else who can use heart magic," he said, words measured, slow, "you aren't very good at _empathy_."

"Oh? But aren't _you_ the one who's ignoring the suffering of others?"

"You aren't the only one whose suffered!" He moved towards the Puppet Master. "Aqua's never gotten over loosing Terra and Ven—she still mourns for them, even if she's good at hiding it. Kairi was so riddled with guilt after what you showed her that she thought she had to go back to Radiant Garden, but she still misses the Islands and her friends. A lot. And she _still wonders_ what would've happened if she'd decided to continue and become a Keyblade Master. Riku's fight with the darkness left him scarred, and even if he's not hurting anymore, there are still people that don't trust him. Lea, Roxas, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Shirou—none of them had it easy." He paused, looming over the man now, and continued, voice brittle, hard, "And me."

The Puppet Master glanced upwards, expression wary.

"Do you know what you did to _me_?"

"Stop acting like a petulant child."

Sora lifted the Kingdom Key, Purge readied on the tip. He stood there, shaking for several moments, breath shaking. Then, slowly, he lowered the weapon and dismissed the Kingdom Key.

The Puppet Master glanced at the empty space in surprise.

"You know, maybe you're right. There are some similarities between us. But here's the difference."

The Puppet Master flashed a look towards him.

Sora's hands still shook, but he met his gaze head on. "You were a lonely child, weren't you? Everyone thought you were weird, because you were so obsessed with protecting your world."

The Puppet Master's eye twitched. "Stop it."

"And the world, seeing your heart and your loneliness, and sensing how easily you could connect to others, if you choose, reached out to you. It became your friend, and allowed you to use its memories as your personal toys."

" _Stop it._ "

"But you started misusing your power, because you were curious, and lonely, and wanted to believe you were powerful."

" _Stop it!_ " The Puppet Master stood abruptly.

"And I _understand_."

The Puppet Master stalled, blinking. Slowly, he asked, "What?"

Sora met his gaze, then answered, "If I was that young when I first fully awakened my heart magic, I might've abused it, too, thinking nothing was wrong, and that everything was all fun and games. Maybe I would've thought the worlds were my playground, too."

The Puppet Master didn't move, held stiff.

Sora took a slow step back. "And when I was younger, maybe I would've tried to save you."

"But you won't."

"I'm not sure I can, anymore. But," he paused, and made sure he held the other man's gaze, and continued, "I _can_ forgive you."

The Puppet Master stared.

Sora turned. "Thank you. I'll let Aqua know about this. Maybe she'll have more success." He began to walk away.

"You _forgive_ me? What good is that to me? I'm still _here_ , still _rotting_ , you—don't just leave!"

Sora paused. He glanced back. "I'm sorry. There are still things I need to sort out." He continued, ignoring the magic hurled at his heart, and stepped through Aqua's portal.

Aqua, Mickey, Riku, Lea, and Emi stood watching, waiting expectantly.

Sora looked at them. His eyes burned, and finally, he crumpled, fingers reaching to curl around Kairi's charms in his pocket.

Slowly, one by one, the other Keyblade Masters joined him on the floor, an arm slung around his shoulders, a hand resting on his knee, kind eyes, active pushing of good emotions from their youngest master.

Sora took a deep breath, the tears drying.

Aqua asked quietly, "What happened?"

Sora laughed. "I'm not sure I really know. But he's not the one causing the Heartless to act up."

Mickey said, "So we're back to square one."

Sora removed Kairi's charms.

"Sora?"

"Sorry. There are just," he paused, and repeated what he'd told the Puppet Master, "some things I need to figure out."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Shirou has taken the bait. Great (not). Also, the world of Brave? Interesting choice._ – Considering the 'change your fate' theme, I figured it'd be a good choice, because it's rather relevant for Shirou.

 **Aburg76:** _Alright that man is fucking with Shirou big time, though at this point it is hard to tell if he is just manipulating Shirou as he is making armour piercing questions that if answered will help Shirou grow, I am just not sure if it would be good growth for Shirou._ – Only time will tell.

 **RedRat8:** _Ah, now I finally understand why you picked this world. A understanding and acceptance that Fate sometimes can by cruel and it may not change. But also an acceptance of how things may have gone into the past but also a willingness to see the world for not what it is but for what it could be. Shirou is finally going to confront the demons that he has been ignoring is he not?_ – That's a pretty good summation of that, actually. And yes, he certainly is!

 **ultima-owner:** _so wayfinders are viewed as charms to ward off evil in this world_ – Not Wayfinders, necessarily, but charms similar to them.

 _Any thoughts or predictions after the chapter? Feel free to let me know!_


	47. Choices to Make

_Here's chapter forty – seven. Thank you Aburg76, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, and Joachim Armster for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Seven: Choices to Make**

Very few people stirred in Radiant Garden's streets. Shirou didn't mind; he moved with a single-minded purpose towards the castle, his mind whirling, ever-circling back to the same question.

This wasn't his first time back since he'd made the decision to first return to his home world, all those years ago—he'd stopped several times with the other apprentices on missions, and occasionally ferried a letter between Sora and Kairi. Now, however, the old world seemed weighted, filled with a more serious aura.

He stopped when he reached the memorial. The flowers waved slowly, the large, broken stone towering above. The setting sun cast faint, glinting light across its surface. He hesitated and laid a hand on its side, then slowly rested his head against it. He wondered, not for the first time, about the people who may have lost their lives in rebuilding the world, and if they were anything like the people who'd lost their lives in the fire.

"I don't owe anything," he whispered, as if those people were waiting, listening, "to the world I left behind. It's where I was born, but it's not my home. And I thought I made peace with the people who'd died. I couldn't live in the past—that wouldn't help Sora, and it wouldn't help me be a better Keyblader. But."

He paused, and he half-expected to see spirits listening in, watching him, judging him. He swallowed. "But if I can do something to _fix_ things, then shouldn't I take it?"

"That depends," a new voice answered. "What are you trying to fix?"

Shirou jumped and reflexively summoned Vir.

Roxas lifted a hand. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Shirou relaxed, Vir disappearing. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." He approached the memorial, casting him a sideways glance. "On a mission?"

Shirou's mouth went dry. "I was."

"And?"

"I came here instead."

"That doesn't sound like you."

A Dusk peered over the memorial's edge.

Roxas continued, "You're thinking of going back?"

Shirou clenched his fists and focused on the words below the monument.

"You _are_ going back."

"Is it the right thing?" He cast the Nobody a desperate look. "There are so many things I don't know—about myself, and my home, and the fire—and this guy warned me that something was coming—"

"You should be careful about who you listen to."

"It's not just him." He paused. "You—did you ever wonder about your birth?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you weren't born like most people, either. You were born when Sora released his heart. I was born when Sora saved me from the fire." He summoned Vir and lifted it. "All I am—all I've _ever_ been—was a Keyblade wielder. It's all I know how to be, and all I wanted. But I'm starting to wonder who I was before, and who I could've been, if I hadn't left, and if it could tell me anything that would be useful in my training." _If I could really do something meaningful, to make up for everything._ "Besides, we haven't checked that world in years. Isn't it our responsibility to watch over all worlds, especially if something bad might be happening?"

Roxas didn't answer immediately. He looked away, towards the twilit sky, his eyes narrowed contemplatively. "I understand the feeling," he said finally. "I was frustrated when no one would answer my questions. The Organization kept mentioning a connection to this 'Sora' that I didn't know. I left for a lot of reasons, but answers was certainly one of them." Roxas snorted. "It doesn't matter what I say, though, right? You're going anyways."

Shirou nodded, once weakly, then again with more resolve.

"Then I hope you find what you're looking for. But hey." He fixed Shirou with a serious look. "Don't get so caught up in this that you forget about the people who care about you out here. You have family, you know."

Shirou reached into his pocket and touched Kairi's charm. "I know."

Roxas eyed him, then turned, disappearing through a Corridor of Darkness.

 **-Sora** hesitated outside the castle. The castles spires seemed to touch the clouds, breaking them apart in the sky above. He shook his head.

"Sora!" Yuffie hurried towards him. "What are you doing just standing there?"

Leon followed more slowly. "You're visiting?"

"Y-yeah. Sort of." Sora shifted. "I need to talk about something with Kairi."

The two guards exchanged glances. Yuffie said, "So come in." She gestured.

"Right. Thanks." He dipped his head to them and brushed past.

A few guards trailed the castle halls, talking amicably. One called, "Hey, Sora!" and he waved uncertainly, moving with greater focus through the corridors, avoiding eye contact. He passed several rooms and bounded up the stairs, cresting them at the end of a long hallway. The window at the end glowed, casting bright streaks of light across the floor, motes glimmering. Kairi's personal chambers lay at the far end; her study stood about halfway.

Sora's stepped slowed, his footfalls growing heavier, until he finally came to a stop, just before the door. He shoved his hands into his pockets and chewed the inside of his cheek. He cast his gaze about, then sighed, and dragged his feet the last few inches. He lifted his hand, hesitated, then clenched his fist and knocked rapidly, exerting more force than intended.

Papers shuffled inside the study. "Who is it?"

"Sora."

"Sora?" A chair screeched. Footsteps hurried towards the door. Kairi opened it, blinking wide eyes at him.

Sora offered an uncertain smile. "Hey."

Kairi's shoulders fell, a half-amused, half-exasperated expression crossing her face. "Hey yourself." She stepped aside. "Come in! I'm just finishing up some paperwork."

Sora stepped inside and pulled the door halfway closed. "For what?"

"We've been trying to organize inter-world trade routes. You know about that, right? Since so many people in Radiant Garden know about other worlds, we figured it'd be a good idea to reach out to similar worlds. We've been trying to finalize some agreements with other worlds. Roxas has been helping a lot, so we wouldn't have to bother you guys."

"It's no bother, you know. I'm sure any of us would be happy to help."

Kairi smiled. "So, what brings you to Radiant Garden?"

Sora shrugged. "Things." He cast his glance aside. "So things've been going okay? Not too many Heartless?"

"No, we've been able to take care of them, mostly."

"Good."

"Sora." Kairi fixed him with a serious look.

He sighed, shoulders slumping. He said quietly, "I visited the Puppet Master."

"What?"

Sora didn't meet her gaze.

"Sora. Please, sit down, your making me more nervous."

He started, then sat abruptly in the offered the chair.

Kairi asked, "Why?"

"Aqua's told you about the increase of Heartless, right? How they're acting up again?"

Kairi nodded.

"I thought he might've been the one causing it." He paused, then stated bluntly, "He's not."

A long pause stretched between them. "But you didn't come to tell me that."

"No." He clasped his hands. "He's been in contact with Shirou's world."

"Why?"

"From what I gathered? To get back at me. He said he released something there, but I don't know what."

Kairi waited, watching him with a concerned expression.

He didn't speak for several moments, eyeing a spot on the floor. "I'm going back."

"Huh?"  
"To Shirou's world. I'm going back."

"But didn't it send someone after you last time?"

"Yes."

"Then why?"

"Because it's our job to protect the worlds—all of them." He hesitated. "And I feel like I owe it to her. And to him. Shirou, I mean. It is the world he's from."

Kairi searched his gaze. "You're scared, aren't you?"

He started. Then he laughed and scratched his head. "You read me too easy, Kairi. I thought I was the one with heart magic."

She remained silent.

He lowered his hand and nodded. "I don't know what's going to happen. But I know Shirou can't go."

"Why not?"

Sora hesitated. "It wouldn't be a good idea."

Kairi lapsed into silence again.

"I just—I thought I should let you know. After everything."

"Have you told the others?"

"Sort of. Aqua knows. The others'll probably suspect, but I'm not sure they should come, either."

"Sora. You know you're stronger when you have others to connect your heart to."

"Yeah. But our hearts are connected across worlds, right? It'll be fine." He offered a weak smile.

"Take someone with you."

"Kairi—"

"I'm serious. I'll go."

"You have Radiant Garden to rule—"

"Then find Roxas. He'd go with you. Or Donald or Goofy. But don't do this alone."

Sora hesitated, searching her face, studying her serious expression, and finally sighed. "Alright. I'll find someone."

"Good."

Sora stood, hesitated, moved towards the door, stopped again. "Kairi."

"Hmm?"

He turned abruptly, pulled out her old charm, and laid it gently on her desk. "This is my lucky charm. I'll be coming back for it, so you'd better take good care of it."

Kairi stared, then lifted her head slowly. A grin slowly spread across her face, and she nodded, laughing. "Yeah. Okay."

Sora grinned, his hands shaking, his heart thrumming, and turned, leaving the room.

He moved much quicker leaving, strides eating the ground, eyes unfocused in thought. _Who should I take with me? Roxas isn't a bad option, and he's probably here somewhere, but I don't know where I'd find him._

When he left the castle, the near-darkness almost completely obscured the figured coming towards it. The startled grunt caught his attention.

Sora's head whipped upwards. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again. "Shirou?"

Shirou stopped, standing stock still, eyes wide.

Sora blinked. "What are you doing here?"

Shirou stared.

Sora immediately set walls around his heart.

Shirou flinched. The faint brush of magic faded. "I was—" He trailed off.

Sora tilted his head, heart thrumming. "You didn't finish exploring the new world already, did you?"

"No." Shirou shifted and looked away.

Sora searched his apprentice's gaze. "Then why'd you leave?"

Shirou didn't answer for several moments, looking everywhere but at him. Finally he lifted his gaze, expression worried a moment, then hardening into something more determined. "I'm going back to my home world."

Silence. Then, bluntly, "No."

Shirou's expression fell, the determination falling apart.

Sora folded his arms. "You still have a mission to complete."

"But—"

"No 'but's.' It's your job, as a Keyblader, to check out this world."

Shirou searched his face, amber eyes flickering uncertainly, expression fallen.

Sora moved past him. "Once you finish your mission, we'll talk about it again, alright?"

Several moments of silence past, until quietly Shirou said, "You haven't always listened to the other Keybladers."

"Hmm?"

Shirou turned, eyes still flickering with something uncertain, but continued, "I _am_ your apprentice."

" _Shirou_."

"I'm going back." He swallowed, but held Sora's gaze.

" _No._ " His mind flashed with the image of that _older_ Shirou. "As your Master, I'm ordering you—"

"You and Riku and Kairi were traveling the worlds at my age and younger. You said yourself exploring worlds like you did would be a good experience. So what's wrong with exploring my own?"

"You have a mission."

"And you aren't telling me everything."

They locked gazes for several moments. Sora balled his fists, shaking, then, slowly, his anger and fear drained. "Why do you want to go back?"

Shirou relaxed slightly. His gaze slid sideways. "I heard there might be something happening there—something that I might be able to stop."

 _I released something there._ "So did I."

Shirou flashed him a surprised look. "Then that settles it. I'm going."

Sora opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shirou."

Shirou continued, more quietly, "You know I can fight. You were willing to send me to an unknown world on my own. Don't you trust me now?"

Sora weighed his options. He sighed and lowered his hand. "Alright. Fine. But on one condition."

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

Sora offered a faint grin and extended a hand. "We go together."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Well that was very informative, nice way for Sora to get back at the PM (Puppet Master not personal message) at the end._ – Thanks! I figured, given Sora's character in this story, it was appropriate.

 **RedRat8:** _Wow that was deep on his part, seems like Sora is starting to remove the chains that held him one by one._ – Yep! But he and Shirou both have some chains that still need removing.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Aaaand Sora gets some things off his chest. Nice to see him rant for once. (But the fact that our mystery mastermind is a complete unknown is worrying.)_ – When a guy like that puts you through that much…you kind of just need to vent a little. On the last note…I've technically already told you who that mastermind is. It just takes a little digging to figure it out.

 **ultima-owner:** _no one saved the Puppet Master needed it most, when he was just a child. He's a broken man who is too broken to be fixed completely but he can be given a better chance with some work and people willing to help._ – That's a pretty good way to sum it up, yeah.

 **Joachim Armster:** _I take it they will have to find a new place to store him as it seems he still has too much power there._ – Well, they'll certainly have to figure out _something_ to do with him. _This does make me curious though are you going to stick to just servants in the HGW or are you going to use actual counter guardians and the kaleidoscope like the creators started to do in their sequals and spin offs?_ – Aside from the obvious CG EMIYA, pretty much sticking to normal Heroic Spirits in this one…well, at least Servant-wise.

 _Any thoughts on the chapter? Drop a review and let me know!_


	48. Summoning

_This is chapter forty – eight. Thank you reality deviant, Aburg76, RedRat8, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Eight: Summoning**

Shirou blinked. His Station of Awakening glowed faintly beneath him.

Xion stood on the far end, turned away.

Shirou moved, his footsteps tapping loudly. "Xion? Is something wrong?"

She didn't stir.

"It's been a while since I've been here. Is it because I'm going back to my home world?"

Xion didn't answer.

He hesitated just behind her. "Did you call me here?"

Xion finally turned. Tears ran down her face.

Shirou started.

Xion suddenly embraced him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He hesitated, then awkwardly returned the hug.

"You're going someplace I can't follow."

"Huh?"

"Shirou, there are—there are probably a lot of things you're going to face about yourself in the future. Things that will change how you think about yourself, and how others see you, and I can't protect you from that any longer."

Shirou frowned and extended magic towards her.

"Please don't."

The magic stalled.

Xion took a step back. She lifted Kairi's charm.

"How did—?"

She pressed it into his hand, and pressed it close to his chest. "Please, just remember that you are _you_. That you've made connections all your own. Okay?"

Shirou blinked. "Okay."

Xion flashed him a small smile. Light shrouded them. "I have to go. You're waking up. But—but I'll see you again, alright?"

"Yeah. But why can't you come with us?"

Xion didn't answer right away. It wasn't until the Station had mostly faded that her whispered answer came: "You'll find out soon enough."

 **-Kiritsugu** shifted.

Brande sat across from him, staring over the table, hands resting on top of a decorative box.

Illya called, "Dad, can you come help me with my math homework?"

"In a minute, Illya."

"You promised!"

"I know." He flashed a smile towards his impatient daughter. "But Miss Brande came all the way her with important information."

Illya puffed her cheeks and shot Brande a suspicious look. "This is about the stupid Holy Grail War, isn't it?"

Brande blinked. "Well, yes." She shot Kiritsugu a questioning look.

"Then I should be here, too."

Kiritsugu sighed. "Illya."

"I'm supposed to be the Holy Grail's vessel, right?" She sat. "So I get a say."

Brande exhaled slowly.

"I couldn't hide it forever," Kiritsugu said. "She was going to find out I was a Master sooner or later."

Brande said, "And Acht already took care of the 'Grail vessel' thing." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

Illya asked, "What's in the box?"

"This," Brande said, "is the catalyst I found for your father." She removed the lid. A small, dirty scrap of cloth lay inside.

Illya leaned closer. "It looks a dog buried it."

"Illya."

"It does!"

Brande hardly reacted, save for a twitching eyebrow. "You wanted someone to mediate between you and Saber. This was the best candidate I could find."

Kiritsugu cautiously lifted the cloth. It wilted, small threads unraveling and dissolving. "It's not well preserved. How'd you find it?"

"I have friends in lots of places. One of them happens to be an Arthurian scholar."

Kiritsugu shot her an uncertain look.

"According to legend, he's not quite like most of the knights you're familiar with. He was never quite as enamored with the 'chivalric ideals' as the other knights of the Round."

"Do I get a name?"

"Sir Dinadan."

Illya asked, "So when are we doing the summoning?"

Kiritsugu gave her a look.

"I want to see!"

"You have school tomorrow."

"But if the Holy Grail War's starting, wouldn't it be safer for me to stay home?"

Brande snorted.

Kiritsugu said, "You're still going to school tomorrow."

Illya huffed.

Kiritsugu sighed. "But we'll still do the ceremony tonight. You can meet him."

Illya pumped a fist.

Brande passed a folder. "Here's the information I could get on the other Masters."

Kiritsugu accepted the folder, paging quickly through the notes.

"Aside from you and Miss Tohsaka, there's Sakura Matou and Bazett Fraga McRemitz as representatives of the Matou and Mage's Association, respectively. That aside, one Master has already been killed, and the other two remain unknown."

Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow. "Caster, huh?"

"Apparently she killed him not long after arriving in Fuyuki. She hasn't disappeared, however, which means she's likely found herself another Master in the meantime."

"So three unknowns."

Brande bristled. "I got you a catalyst and some information, but I'm the head of a Magus family now. I can't spend all my time doing favors for you."

"No, this is good. Thank you." He closed the folder. "I'll do some recon tomorrow and see what I can learn."

Brande nodded. "Then I suppose I'll be off." She stood.

Illya moved over to take possession of the box.

"Oh," Brande continued, "and Kiritsugu? Try not to get yourself killed."

Kiritsugu snorted. "We'll see how Saber reacts."

Brande smirked, then left.

 **-Rin** rubbed her arms. "Do we really have to do this out here?"

Waver asked, "Do you have any better options?"

She crossed her arms.

"I thought so."

They currently stood in the forest outside the McKenzie's house. Waver glanced about, something wistful entering his expression.

Rin knelt, continuing her work on her magic circle.

"So when, exactly, do you plan to meet your partner in crime?"

"Not until tomorrow. I want to let Saber relax a little first, and prepare her for what's going on. It's probably not going to be pretty, regardless, but I can at least soften things a bit."

Waver nodded. "I suppose that's for the best."

Rin finished the circle and stood. "It's nearly time." She glanced to Waver for confirmation.

The man nodded. "Are you ready? Regardless of whether the Grail is worth chasing or not, this event will undoubtedly change your life."

Rin huffed. "I know that already." More quietly she added, "I've been preparing since Father died—or, at least, as much as I could." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Anyway, I'm more than ready."

Avalon lay across from the circle, gleaming in the faint moonlight.

Rin stepped forwards, placing herself in the circle's center. Several jewels were clenched in her hand, slowly melting. She extended her hand, drops of melted crystal slowly falling into the circle's center. _Fill,_ her mind whispered at each drop. _Fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat five times, destroying each one as it is filled._

The circle glowed, faint green light pulsing skyward a little more with each drop. The circle flared red, panting the sheath across from Rin in an eerie light.

Rin began. "Heed my words."

 **-"My** will creates your body," Kiritsugu intoned, hand stretched over the summoning circle, "and your sword creates my destiny."

The deep shadows in the old shed and the summoning circle left behind—now refreshed—brought back old memories that Kiritsugu chose not to dwell on. The circle gave a faint glow, painting Illya, who stood a short distance away, eyes wide and curious, despite her earlier attempts to hide it. The box—cloth inside—sat on a box near the circle.

Kiritsugu steadied his hand. "If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning."

 **-"I hereby** swear," Rin continued, her voice strong, "that I shall be all the good in the world."

 **-"So,"** Lancer asked, "where to, Master?"

Bazett glanced at him. "Right now, just scouting."

Lancer scoffed. "Come on, Master. That's not a very exciting first night in Fuyuki."

"If we come across another Servant, you can fight it." She stopped and gave her hidden Servant a hard look. "But nothing too serious until we know what we're up against, alright?"

"Tch. What a Master I've got."

"You'll get to go all-out before too long." Bazett focused ahead. "But in the meantime, I want to know what happened to Kirei Kotomine."

"What, you mean that guy who was supposed to be the overseer? They sent a replacement."

"Yes, but he just disappeared. And I want to find out why."

 **-"That** I shall defeat all evil in the world."

 **-A hooded** figure crouched on a building. He stared across Fuyuki. Distantly, he imagined he could sense a summoning ritual—though he supposed that was more a guess. It'd be the right night, after all.

He glanced skyward. "Everything is about to change."

 **-"Seventh** heaven, clad in the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"

 **-Sora** steered the Gummi ship, his fingers tight around the wheel.

Shirou lay in the back, sleeping.

The world loomed closer.

Sora swallowed. _Is this really the best idea? Maybe I shouldn't have agreed. Maybe we_ both _should've gone back._

His mind flashed with the image of the Puppet Master, and he shook his head. _I have to find what he 'released' here. If it's what's causing the Heartless to grow restless, then I need to stop it._

Shirou stirred. "Sora?"

He glanced back and gave a shaky grin. "Nearly there."

Almost on cue, a strange dropping sensation filled his senses, seeming to pull him down, much like it had ten years ago. _Here we go._

 **-A figure** , clad in silver armor, stepped from the summoning circle.

Rin stared, wide-eyed, at the woman who approached her. Her Command Seals hummed.

"I am Servant Saber," the woman told her, and invisible sword held tightly to her side. "On you summoning I have come."

Rin grinned and glanced at Waver before her attention was drawn fully to the Servant once more.

"I ask of you—are you my Master?"

* * *

 _And the Servants are summoned! Bonus points for whoever knows what Kiritsugu's catalyst came from. Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _Feels like now without him destined to be counter guardian, as he would have become, Alaya is luring him to participate other way in this ritual. Sora will get more unplasent surprises there._ – Actually, it's not Allya leading him back, but they will both be getting some rather unpleasant surprises in their future, yes.

 **Aburg76:** _Well nice there you giving Roxas some time and nice chat with Shirou both with Roxas and with Sora, thanks for the update._ – Thanks. I figured Roxas would probably know a little about what Shirou was going through, and since he won't really be appearing much more, I wanted to give him some screen time.

 **RedRat8:** _Well now that was fun, and it seems to be another homecoming for Shirou. Wonder what kind of Servant will he get in the War if he ends up in there._ – I feel like I should state again that Shirou's role is not quite going to be what people are expecting…

 **ultima-owner:** _The world will not be happy to see them._ – She certainly won't.

 _Any thoughts on the chapter? Drop a review and let me know!_


	49. Welcome Home

_Here's chapter forty – nine. Thank you Aburg76, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, ultima-owner, and OoOXylionOoO for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Forty – Nine: Welcome Home**

Shirou took a deep breath. Darkened streets stretched before him. Street lamps flickered overhead. Nothing stirred save a slight breathe. _Well. We're back. The place that would've been my home._

He still couldn't bring himself to feel more than he did when visiting most worlds.

Sora stepped beside him. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

Sora took the lead. "We can look a little tonight, just to see if we find some clues. Tomorrow we can ask around and see if anyone's seen anything strange."

Shirou nodded, trailing.

"Everything alright?"

He started. "It's fine. I guess I just expected to feel something more."

Sora offered a gentle smile. "You haven't been here for a long time. It's not surprising there's not really a connection anymore." His expression fell briefly, but he turned away.

Shirou frowned, but didn't press.

They continued in relative silence. Shirou kept his magic open and occasionally brushed his mentor's. Occasionally pulses of _something_ flickered beneath his feet. "Is that the world?"

"You sense it?"

Shirou nodded.

Sora frowned. "Maybe we shouldn't use our magic quite so openly."

"Why not?"

"She's not a fan of me."

Shirou abruptly cut off his magic.

Sora shrugged. "Well, nothing wrong with doing it the old fashioned way, right?"

Shirou nodded. "I'm a little surprised we haven't seen any Heartless yet."

Sora grunted half-hearted acknowledgement.

"I remember seeing some last time."

"You did?" Sora whipped towards him, eyes wide.

"Y-yes?" Shirou lifted his hands. "Some sort of lion."

"Oh." Sora's shoulders fell.

"It's weird, though, if that guy's really here."

Sora's expression turned pensive.

"Sora?"

"Maybe that's not what we should be looking for."

"Then what is?"

"I don't know."

Shirou sighed, then jerked. Clanging steel sounded in the distance.

Sora turned towards it.

Shirou moved.

Sora caught him. "Hold on. Don't just rush in."

"But that could be the guy."

"I know, and we'll check it out, but cautiously. We can use our magic when we get closer, okay?"

Shirou nodded.

Sora released him and moved, shoulders stiff, giving jerky glances around them as they moved.

Shirou tried to focus on the sounds instead.

The clanging increased. Voices drifted towards them, words undiscernible.

Shirou's eyes narrowed. He stretched a tendril of magic forward. It moved, then abruptly hit a barrier around a foreign heart. He examined it, but found no weaknesses. "There's something blocking their hearts."

Sora nodded. "I can't get through on two of them, either."

"Two of them?"

Someone gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

A young woman dressed in red stared, black hair pulled into pigtails, stared at them, wide-eyed.

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "You're Rin." He glanced aside. "Are you—?"

"You need to get out of here. Now." She rushed towards them.

Sora's eyes remained trained away.

Shirou asked, "Why? What's going on?"

Sora's eyes snapped wide. "Back up."

A blur appeared, flung through the air.

Shirou leapt back, summoning Vir.

Sora skidded beside him, the Kingdom Key materializing, held protectively in front.

The figure landed just in front of them, skidding to a halt, the concrete tearing. Silver armor glinted in the moonlight. The woman straightened, hands held sideways, as if grasping a sword. Despite her young appearance, her expression was more focused, older, eyes never leaving a figure approaching them.

"Rin," the woman asked, "are you alright?"

Only then did Shirou realize Rin hadn't moved. "Fine. Just draw Lancer away."

The woman nodded.

A man in blue—Lancer, Shirou assumed—waltzed towards them. "That all you got, Saber?"

Saber launched.

Lancer's spear collided with something invisible, sparks showering. He grinned. "Thought not."

Saber swung several more times, the blows faster than Shirou could follow, parried each time by a long red blur.

Lancer leapt away, Saber following close behind.

Sora abruptly whipped aside, Keyblade swinging.

A woman appeared, her fist striking Sora's weapon.

Rin lifted her hand, firing several dark blasts at the woman.

She pulled back, the energy blasts firing past her.

Sora leapt aside. He glanced at the woman, then at Shirou and Rin. "I'm following them." He took off after the two individuals.

Rin shouted, "Wait!"

The woman stepped into Rin's guard.

Shirou swung.

The woman diverted her attention, blocking his Keyblade.

Rin fired a blast.

The woman ducked, dodging.

Rin moved past her and caught Shirou's arm. She tugged him away. "Come on! We're no good this close to her."

Shirou followed. "Who is she?"

"I'll explain later. Just move!"

Shirou obeyed, opening his magic and sending a link towards the strange woman. The tendril connected to her heart and pulsed faintly.

Rin dragged him away, spinning and firing a few shots. The dark energy struck the ground in front of the woman, sending dirt and debris skyward.

Shirou rounded the corner. Rin dragged him into the bushes, and together the two raced into the nearby forest, winding through trees and pushing through the undergrowth. They slid into a sheltered area beneath the tree line, roots snaking over their heads, a steep wall leading to the dip.

Rin pressed close to the wall, peering overhead.

Shirou's magic warned him that the woman was pursuing, but was currently on a more round-about route. "We're fine for now."

Rin didn't answer.

"So, who is she? And why is she attacking us?"

"Her name is Bazett McFragga, and right now, we have a conflict of interest." Rin lowered her head, then skidded down near him. "Are you still good with that weapon?"

"Um, yes? Why?"

"Because I have a plan to get her off our tails."

 **-Sora** raced after Lancer and Saber. They seemed to have stopped, for the moment; though he couldn't discern their emotions, the strange wall still allowed him to detect their presence. _What could be so resistant to heart magic? Even worlds don't react that much._

He slowed when he neared them, ducking behind a building, out of sight for the moment.

The two clashed, wind whipping around them. Saber's invisible blade carved arcs through the air, swinging high, then low, pairing the rapid stabs of her opponent's spear.

Lancer continued his assault, weapon flashing rapidly, sporting a wide grin.

The two separated momentarily. Saber circled, attacking at a different angle, then leapt away from her opponent's swing.

Sora narrowed his eyes and took a step away. _Without reading their hearts, I don't know why they're fighting, and they haven't said enough to hint at it. I could ask, but I don't think it'd be a good idea to just step into the middle of this._

Saber swung overhead.

Lancer parried.

Saber moved for a quick sideways strike, then pulled back and stabbed, wind tearing the ground as it flew towards Lancer.

 _These guys aren't normal. They remind me of that 'other Shirou' I fought, years ago._ A cold shiver ran up his spine as he wondered if he was here, too.

But he was getting nowhere waiting. If these two knew anything, he'd have to either wait until they'd stopped fighting, or step in himself.

His eyes slipped towards Saber. He transformed the Kingdom Key, took a deep breath, and fired at Lancer.

The blue-clad mad whipped towards him, eyes wide. He leapt away, spinning his lance, the weapon deflecting the blows. "Hey. This isn't your fight."

Sora stepped slowly from the shadows, magic thrumming through his veins, Keyblade still transformed.

Saber glanced towards him.

Sora asked, "What's the plan?"

Saber blinked, then focused on Lancer again. "It'd be better for you to stay out of this. A Magus shouldn't try to compete with Servants."

 _Magus?_

Lancer snorted. "So, are you another one of those Masters we have to fight, or just interfering?"

 _Masters?_ Sora kept his expression neutral. "I'm just here looking for answers. If you could stop fighting and talk to me, I'll let you get back to your battle."

Lancer eyed him warily. "If we say no?"

"Then I'll join on the other's side."

"Heh. Awfully confident, aren't you?"

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Saber stepped in front of him.

"I'm not sure what you're doing," Lancer said, "but it's not your place to interfere here. And, quite frankly, I don't trust you."

Saber braced her weapon, eyeing Lancer.

Sora blinked. "I see." _Then I don't need to beat you—I just need to drive you off._ He fired.

Lancer lifted his spear to block, then started when the attacks fell short, crashing into the ground before him and showering him with grit.

Saber moved, rocks upheaved with a gust of wind.

Lancer appeared above the debris and threw his spear.

"Aeroga!" The wind spell erupted around him.

Red glinted through the storm and pierced the shield.

Sora jerked, whipping his Keyblade upwards.

The spear still struck his shoulder. He gasped, the weapon digging deep. _That means—_ "Salvation!"

Lancer appeared, smirking and freeing his spear.

Sora smirked back as his attack unleashed.

The wound knitted itself back together, but the exploding light deflected from Lancer harmlessly.

Sora's eyes snapped wide, and he backpedaled, Keyblade swinging.

Lancer's spear flashed towards him and, just as quickly, was deflected by Saber's sword. The warrior skidded in front of him, whipping her weapon towards her opponent's exposed side.

Lancer dodged, swinging the shaft of his weapon.

Sora recollected himself and held his Keyblade carefully on-guard. _They resist magic, don't they? That's why I can't read their hearts._ He glanced at the debris, then back towards the two fighting individuals. He grinned. "Blizaga!" The ice spell materialized, spires spiking skyward, cold stretching across the ground and freezing it. Sora moved, casting the spell again and again, around the fighting warriors.

Lancer, for a while, was too involved with Saber to notice, weapon flashing in wide arcs and sweeps, constantly parrying her strikes. When he'd made it partway around Lancer cast him a glance. "Alright. That's enough out of you." He turned, spinning his lance.

Saber caught it. "What's the matter, Lancer?" She grinned. "I had thought you were more interested in our fight."

Lancer grimaced. "I'm ending this." He leapt back, landed on an ice patch and, for a moment, lost his balance.

Sora finished his ring. "Tornado!" The wind spell materialized in the ring, dragging debris into the vortex. He guided it towards Lancer. The stones flew around inside, striking the trapped warrior.

Saber stood back, watching.

Abruptly a blue streak leapt from the wind, a bruised, but far more annoyed, and perched on top of one of the spires. He glanced towards Sora. "You think you're clever, don't you?" He turned, still balanced, spear raised.

"Firaga!" The fireball collided with the ice, shattering it.

Lancer jumped clear and landed gracefully.

Saber moved to stand beside Sora. "Are you prepared to fight both of us, Lancer?"

Lancer spun his weapon, gaze flicking between them. "Heh. You know, I'd rather not kill you just yet. Could be quite the challenge, later on." He lowered his weapon and rubbed his head. "Besides, getting into a full-fledged fight right now wasn't exactly in the plans." He eyed them. "I'll retreat for now." He disappeared. The tether to his heart flickered once, then vanished.

Sora relaxed. "Sorry about jumping in like that."

Saber examined him. "As much as I appreciate the action, I had the situation under control. But who are you? Another Master?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't even know what that is. Like I said, I just have some questions I need answered."

Saber eyed him skeptically, then whipped sideways, eyes widening. "Rin."

Sora stiffened. "Is something wrong?"

Saber hurried away.

"Wait!" Sora sprinted after her.

 **-Shirou** shifted. He sat in a tree, magic tracking Bazett, Vir transformed and humming in his hands.

Rin hid behind a tree, keeping an eye on him.

Shirou glanced to her and pointed in Bazett's direction.

Faint circuit patterns glowed along Rin's arms and legs. She kicked off from her hiding place, lifting her hand and sending several shots in her opponent's general direction.

Bazett dodged, the bushes rustling with her movements, and moved with almost inhuman speed towards them.

Shirou fired.

Several arrows rained down in rapid succession. Bazett shot a surprised glance towards his tree, then moved aside, returning to the tree line.

Shirou tracked her movements, moving his bow accordingly, with Rin providing shots in a wide arc.

Abruptly Bazett turned.

Shirou whipped around, bow aimed.

Bazett sprinted towards him, kicking off the ground.

Shirou fired, but it flew past.

Bazett leapt to his branch, fist drawn back.

Shirou lifted Vir, weapon turning back.

Bazett punched, sending him flying from the tree.

He fell, twisting, and landed awkwardly, falling and skidding across the ground.

Rin fired at the branch, splintering the wood.

Bazett jumped, landing and moving in the same instant.

Shirou stood, lifting his weapon in preparation to fight.

A figure landed in front of him, stalling Bazett's movements. Moonlight glinted off silver-and-purple armor, similar to Saber's. Short brown hair spiked backwards; a red sash hung about the man's waist. He held a sword to his side, almost casually. "Woah, there. What's the rush?"

Bazett eyed him. "You're a Servant."

"Yep. And I'm allied with that girl, over there." He nodded towards Rin. "So. Do you really want to try your odds?"

Rin lifted her hand.

Bazett cast a nervous glance at the Servant, then turned and fled.

The man rubbed his head. "That was a close one."

Rin asked, "How did you know we were here?"

"Hard not to notice _that_ light display." He gave a friendly grin and extended a hand. "The name's Rider. Nice to finally meet you."

* * *

 _Dinadan's Rider class is literally based on his joust with Lancelot. That is really about the only reason for the choice._

 _Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Sir Dinadan you were right I would have never assumed that he would be summoned though I am rather interested in what his parameters will be like? at first I was like who and had to search up who he was much to my shame._ – I think those will probably be gone over in-story, to an extent, but if they're not I can post something in the author's notes. And don't worry about it; he's not one of the more well-known knights, so I'm not really surprised there are people who didn't know about him.

 **RedRat8:** _Going to have to ask then is it the dress that Lancelot supposedly placed on him or a original manuscript of Prose Tristan and the likes, or is it the slanderous ballad about King Mark?_ – Yep, it's the dress! I seriously considered having Brande tell Kiritsugu to look it up just to see his reaction.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _I see the Servant listing has been scrambled for Rin, Ilya and Shirou, tho we still have no clue who Shirou will end up summoning. On the other hand... Xion's words are both worrying and reasuring._ – To be fair, Illya's not really a Master this time (though she's certainly still inserting herself), and Shirou's role is…weird. And Xion's words _should_ be concerning.

 **Parks98:** _Ok so when everyone read "Please, just remember that you are you" did anyone else think that Shirou is going to be more mindfucked than he was in any of the canon story lines?_ – Me? Screw with a character's psyche? Never…

 **ultima-owner:** _That is an amusing way to describe the catalyst. Props to you, Iliya._ – Haha, it really _doesn't_ look like much of a catalyst.

 **OoOXylionOoO:** _Lucky him._ – Indeed.

 _Let me know your thoughts on the chapter!_


	50. Those That Remember

_Here's chapter fifty. Thank you RedRat8, ultima-owner, ArtsofChaos10, and Aburg76 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty: Those That Remember**

"Rider?" Rin repeated. She eyed him warily, hand still half-raised. "What's the name of your Master."

Rider lifted his hands. "Easy. No need to shoot me just yet. I mean, we're still allies, right? Besides, if I'd wanted to kill you, I would have."

Rin lowered her hand slightly.

Shirou asked, "What's going on? Who were those people fighting you?"

Rider cast him a skeptical glance. "Is he supposed to be here?"

"It's fine," Rin said. "He's a mage. But," she stalked towards him, "you shouldn't have interfered. This isn't your battle."

"Bazett's the one who attacked _me_."

Rin relented, but her eyes still searched his. "Let me see your hands."

"Okay?" He lifted them.

She turned them over, frowning. She sighed and dropped them. "Why did you come back _now_ , of all times?"

"What's _now_?"

Rider asked, "You're sure he's a mage?"

"Rin!" a female voice shouted. Saber returned.

Sora followed. "You okay?"

Shirou nodded.

Saber hesitated, her surprised glance fixed on Rider.

Rider stiffened, then bowed. "My king."

"Sir Dinadan." Saber nodded. "I hadn't realized you'd been summoned."

"I might have known something." He rubbed his head.

"You are the ally Rin spoke of?"

"Yeah. He's watching right now."

Rin sighed. "We were supposed to rendezvous tonight."

Sora asked, "So what's going on? Why were all of you fighting?"

Rider asked, "Why does everyone here not know about this?" He paused, expression growing distant. "Oh, boy."

Saber asked, "Dinadan?"

Rider gave her a wry grin. "My Master's coming down. He's said we could go to his place and he'd explain everything." He scanned Sora and Shirou with a sigh. "All of us."

Shirou and Sora exchanged glances. Shirou slid over to Sora. "Whatever's going on has to be it. The thing that figure warned me of."

Sora nodded. "Keep your eyes open."

Shirou hesitated, shifting. "I think I might know what it is."

Sora raised an eyebrow.

Shirou took a deep breath and lifted his voice. "This is the Holy Grail War, right? The—the thing that started the fire years ago."

Silence blanketed the area. Sora's eyes grew wide, his posture stiffening. Saber and Rider both looked perplexed; Rin stepped forward finally and nodded.

Shirou clenched his fists.

Saber asked, "Fire?"

A vaguely-familiar voice answered before Shirou could. "When I had you destroy the Holy Grail, Saber, it left nothing good in its wake."

Saber whipped around, hands tightening around her invisible sword. Her eyes stretched wide. " _You_."

Kiritsugu stepped into the open, eyes drawn and sad. "It's been a while."

Saber lunged.

Rider intercepted.

Their swords shook. Saber asked, "This man is your Master?"

"I realize it's not what you expected, but hear him out. What good's it going to do you to cut his head off?"

"Out of the way, Dinadan."

"No offense, my king, but right now I have a different Master."

Saber's eyes narrowed.

"Listen, I'd be mad too, but don't you think there might've been a _reason_ he gave the order?"

Saber's arms shook. She lowered her head then, slowly, backed away. She dismissed her sword, watching Kiritsugu coldly. "Speak."

Kiritsugu sighed.

Shirou sent a small strain of magic towards his heart. Sadness and resignation radiated from him, underlined with calm determination. "The Grail is cursed, Saber. It can never grant your wish— _anyone's_ wish."

"And how do you know this?"

"I was given a vision after winning the Grail. The vessel explain how my wish would be granted. All it involved was more bloodshed. No miracle.

"I understand if you need some time. You can go to the sight of the fire if you'd like. Rin knows the way."

Saber stepped back. She inclined her head. "Very well." She glanced towards Rin. "I must discuss things with my Master."

Rin crossed her arms. "We'll meet again tomorrow. Waver should be coming in the morning."

Kiritsugu nodded.

The two left.

Rider's shoulders drooped. "I'm glad she didn't decide to press. That might've not gone as well."

Kiritsugu sighed. He turned towards Shirou and Sora.

Sora stepped forward. "What was that about?"

Kiritsugu eyed them. He sighed. "I suppose I might have some things to fill you in on."

 **-Sora** sat at Kiritsugu's table. The others had gathered about—Shirou seated close by, expression pensive, Kiritsugu's daughter making her presence known despite her father's protests, Rider lounging a short distance away, and Kiritsugu himself situated across from him.

Sora took a deep breath. "So that's what you meant, all those years ago. About the 'Holy Grail' causing the fire."

"You remembered."

"It took some digging." He cast Shirou a glance. "You caused it?"

"Unintentionally, but yes."

Shirou's fists curled against his legs. "I already knew."

Sora watched him a few moments, then directed his attention back to Kiritsugu. "This could happen again?"

Kiritsugu nodded. "If we're not careful."

Sora sighed and leaned back. "Alright, fill me in. What's this War about?"

Kiritsugu said, "Seven mages are given Command Seals by the Holy Grail." He lifted his hand, revealing a stylized red sword pattern. "This marks them as 'Masters.'"

Rider interrupted, "Each Master summons a Servant, like myself, under one of seven classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Assassin, or Caster. The Servants fight the War for the Masters, all with the goal of getting the wishes of both granted."

Illya huffed. "But it's all fake, anyways." She looked away, eyes shadowed.

Kiritsugu cast her a worried look.

Sora asked, "If you know that, why are you fighting?"

Rider answered, "Not so easy to just get out of it. Sure, you can forfeit your Command Seals, but some other Master'll get them."

Kiritsugu added, "We're trying to figure out a way to disrupt the War. We've already spread word about the Grail's corruption, but it hasn't deterred enough individuals. All seven Servants have already been summoned, though we don't know all their Masters."

Sora leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Give me a moment. What are Servants, exactly?"

Kiritsugu answered, "Legendary figures summoned as spirits. They are stronger than humans, faster."

"Essentially," added Rider, "think of us as super-powered beings. Most humans can't stand on level footing. That's why _we_ fight each other, and not the Masters."

Sora crossed his arms and frowned. "That's—that doesn't sound—" He took a deep breath. "Oh, boy."

Kiritsugu nodded. "Now I have some questions for you. What are you doing back here?"

Shirou answered, quietly, but with distinct clarity, "We're back here for this. The Holy Grail War."

Illya whipped towards him. "But—but Dad said you didn't know this was going on."

"Someone might have led us here." Shirou lifted his head, slowly, amber eyes molten steel. "I want to help. I don't want anything like that fire to happen again."

Kiritsugu eyed him skeptically.

Shirou's fingers curled into his pant legs. "Please."

Sora rested a hand on his shoulder.

He started.

Sora flashed him a small smile, then returned his attention to Kiritsugu. "Someone's been causing a lot of problems for us, and we think he's here. We didn't know _this_ would be happening, exactly, just something big." His smile turned crooked. "And really, Shirou's not going to let this go. It means a lot to him."

"I—" Shirou flashed him a surprised look, then turned back to Kiritsugu and nodded.

Kiritsugu eyed him critically. "Maybe. What are your credentials?"

"I can fight, long-range or close combat. I can sense where others are, if they're close enough, and read their emotions."

Rider's eyes widened.

Kiritsugu's expression remained impassive.

Sora's hand tightened on Shirou's shoulder.

Illya interjected, slowly, "Do you remember what you said Mom did?"

Kiritsugu's eyes slid her way.

"You had her pose as Saber's Master." Illya's expression turned serious. "So, if Saber still doesn't like you now, maybe she'd feel better dealing with Shirou."

Rider barked a laugh. "Hey, maybe. What do you say, Master?"

Kiritsugu said, "I'll consider it, but we're not making any decisions tonight." He stood. "Sora, you and Shirou can stay here for the night. We'll discuss things more tomorrow."

 **-Shirou** sat outside, Kairi's charm clenched in his hands.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

He activated his magic briefly. He sighed, shoulders relaxing. "It's just you."

"Hey, is that any way to great your master?" Sora grinned, then settled beside him. A breeze stirred his clothes and hair. "What are you thinking about?"

Shirou's grip on the charm tightened. "I don't know what to feel right now."

Sora gave him a side-eyed glance.

"I just—it's surreal, thinking the fire can happen again. It almost feels like I can change the past by stopping things this time."

Sora hummed. "But is it really such a good idea? Changing the past, I mean."

"So many people died."

"Yes, they did. But you're still here. The past is what made you who you are."

"Is my life really worth all of theirs?"

Sora didn't answer right away. "It's worth more than you give it, I think." He smiled a little uncertainly. "But I understand, you know."

Shirou considered activating his magic, then abandoned the idea upon seeing his master's expression.

"Be careful, okay? Whatever you choose. I don't know what I'd do if something happened."

Shirou's throat tightened. "Sure. Thanks, Da—" He paused. "Thanks."

Sora nodded.

They sat there, watching the stars, long into the night.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Well now this should be interesting._ – Indeed.

 **ultima-owner:** _Is it because they are copies of the heroic spirits?_ – I actually did it because of the knight class's magic resistance. (Though, as another reviewer pointed out, Lancer's was a bit more buffed than it should've been, so I'll have to find a way around that.)

 **ArtsofChaos10:** _Lancer only has magic resistance at rank C. He would only be able to shrug off minor and weak spells at best. … Saber despite having Magic Resistance at Rank A, her arm and her sword was easily frozen in ice when Gilgamesh used ice magic with one of his noble phantasms._ – I had actually forgotten that Lancer's magic resistance was lower, so thank you for that reminder. I will have an explanation prepared for the future on why that happened, and already have a few ideas on how that could work. I was actually thinking about the non-magical effects of certain spells still having an effect on them, so I'm…not quite sure why I still had that Tornado spell be ineffective against Lancer? At any rate, that shouldn't be happening again in the future.

 **Aburg76:** _Nice fight scene there though I still think that Shirou could have done more against Bazett._ – Thanks! And, to be honest? Yes, he could've. Rider just stepped in before that could happen.

 _Any thoughts or comments? Leave a review and let me know!_


	51. Changes

_Here's chapter fifty – one. Thank you RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, reality deviant, Parks98, ultima-owner, SonicFan12, Joachim Armster, and MagicArts10 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – One: Changes**

Waver yawned. "It's too early for this." The sun just barely touched the sky. "Of course she'd ask me to go." Then again, he supposed she'd be leery about bringing Saber just yet—and she'd probably still be sleeping.

He reached Emiya's. He hesitated, casting a wary glance upwards.

Kiritsugu called, "I respect your caution, but it's alright."

Waver jumped.

The man sat, watching him with tired eyes. "I'm guessing Rin sent you?"

"Yes." He took a few hesitant steps onto the property.

"You've grown."

"I suppose."

The two eyed each other for several long moments. "So," Kiritsugu said at last, "I'm assuming we're going to discuss the details of our alliance?"

"And the plan moving forward, yes. We intend to take Saber to the park later today, but if that can't convince her, perhaps only Rider should interact with us."

Kiritsugu remained quiet a few moments. "We might have a solution."

Waver raised an eyebrow.

"Someone we knew from several years ago offered a solution—a proxy Master. He could be useful on the field, and, perhaps, be more tolerable to Saber."

"That—that seems like it might work, yes. But are you sure you can trust him?"

Kiritsugu flicked his gaze upwards. He sighed. "I believe I owe it to him. Besides," and his gaze turned steely, "I'll stop him if anything goes awry."

Waver shifted. "W-well then. If that's sorted out, we can make arrangements to meet later. Would around eight work for you?"

"Yes. Hopefully things can be settled by that point."

 **-Saber** waited in the McKenzie's kitchen. She glanced towards the stairwell.

Martha said, "Don't worry. I'm sure Rin will be along soon."

Saber nodded.

Glen laughed. "Seems like we're good at attracting visitors, eh, Waver?" He nudged the mage.

Waver shifted but smiled. "Saber's a little less trouble than _my_ visitor, though."

Martha said, "Oh, I thought Alexi was a wonderful guest."

Saber studied Waver. She hadn't seen much of him since her summoning, and as of yet hadn't had the time to ask him what had happened since the last War. Her fingers twitched beneath the table. Rider's Master, a terrified child, now an accomplished mage in his own right, and her ally.

Waver caught her gaze and held it a few moments. He sighed.

"I'm ready." Rin appeared, a bag slung over her shoulder. "Shall we go?"

Waver stood and dipped his head. "I'll see you guys later."

Saber stood and bowed. "Thank you very much for your hospitality."

Glen said, "It's no trouble! We quite enjoy our visitors, eh, Martha?"

His wife nodded, smiling.

The trio left.

Rin took the lead. "Alright. The first place we're going is the park. We'll decide where to go from there."

Saber nodded, casting her gaze about.

Waver trailed behind and, once Saber was sure no other Servants lingered about, she dropped back to join him. Waver cast her a glance, "Saber."

"Rider's Master."

"It's just 'Waver.' Or Lord el-Melloi II, I suppose."

"You inherited your teacher's title."

"Somehow."

A few people passed them. Saber lowered her voice. "And my Master—she is the daughter of Tokiomi Tohsaka, another former Master."

"Yes."

Saber inhaled deeply and clenched her fists. "How much of what Kiritsugu said is true?"

"Rin believes him."

"And you?"

Waver glanced aside. He removed a cigar and rolled it. "I don't know. With how bloody the War is, it wouldn't surprise me. I'd rather ere on the side of caution. Besides, it seems strange that he'd just give up his wish, doesn't it? You're proof enough that _something's_ wrong."

Saber narrowed her eyes and lowered her gaze.

"But it begs the questions of _why_ and _how_. I don't believe the ancient Magus families would've designed such a conflict if something cursed was the prize."

Saber nodded.

"I haven't been to the park, either, by the way."

She shot him a surprised look.

"I don't know what we're going to find." He lit his cigar and glanced aside. "Sorry."

Saber shook her head. She moved quicker.

Rin only glanced back once, briefly, expression unreadable. She refocused ahead, moving purposefully, one hand tightly clutching her bag. They weaved through streets and buildings. Trees appeared in the distance, then a fence, then grass and benches.

Rin stopped at the edge. "We're here."

Saber glanced at her, then at the park's entrance. She moved through.

Something dark and oppressive washed over her. She stopped, eyes widening. For a moment it seemed the world turned black, shapes highlighted in dark, gruesome colors. The world returned to normal.

Saber's hands shook. She continued.

Trees grew everywhere, stretching him, but their trunks seemed gray, their leaves drooping. The brown grass waved over stagnate pools. Few people moved through the grounds.

Saber trailed through the area, glancing about, placing where everything would have been as best she could. She wasn't sure if she imagined the broken buildings of Fuyuki or the broken buildings of other villages long past.

She stopped where the darkness seemed most oppressive. _This is where—_ Images of herself, of Archer, fighting over the glowing Grail flickered over the scene. Kiritsugu walked from someplace hidden, Command Seals glowing. Did he look remorseful? Pained? She didn't think so, but then, she'd never been able to read her Master.

 _Former Master._

She stared at the imaginary Grail. _Iri. Is that what you gave yourself up to become?_ Saber reached for it, and it dissipated, golden sparks trailing through her fingertips. _Kiritsugu, you—you gave up your wife. Your wish. Just like that?_

She shook and lowered her hand, staring. The building bled into the trees and grass, the ceiling into sky, golden armored foe into air. She grasped her wrist.

 _You're just a little girl._

Saber lifted her head, slowly, and looked back to where Waver and Rin slowly trailed after her. _Congratulations, Rider. You were right._

 _If there is nothing I can do for my country, then what am I doing here?_

 **-Rin** spread a map. "Right. So the best thing we can do right now is figure out where all the other Masters are and prepare for them."

Waver studied the area and asked, "I'm assuming you've asked Emiya to find Bazett's location?"

"Right. We already know where he and the Matou Master are. That leaves three." Rin made a few more marks around the map. "There's been some magical activity these places."

"The 'gas leaks.' I'm assuming that's Caster's doing."

"Who's still supporting herself, somehow. I've sent familiars to each place, but they haven't reported anything yet."

"We can do a scan of the city, perhaps, but it would be good to rendezvous with our partners to find out what they've already planned."

"I agree." She cast a look towards Saber, who sat a short distance away, gaze focused on her legs. "We've already agreed to meet with Rider's Master later tonight." She hesitated, then continued, "Saber, how are you feeling?"

"I am fine, Master. I may not be comfortable in your choice of ally, but I will respect your decision."

Rin narrowed her eyes. "That's all?"

"That's all."

Rin watched her a few moments, then turned back to Waver. "Saber and I will go, then."

"And I suppose I should just wait?"

"You can do whatever suits you. I'm sure it'll be useful." Rin offered a smirk. "We've got a lot of things to do."

 **-Shirou** stood in the shed, facing Rider.

The Servant examined him. "You're sure about this?" He glanced towards Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu sighed. "I imagine he'll involve himself, regardless. At least this way we can keep an eye on him."

Rider turned back to Shirou with a grin. "Well, then welcome to the team, new Master."

Shirou waited a few moments, then glanced towards Kiritsugu with a frown. "That's it?"

"I still need to brief you on our plans. But, for the moment, yes."

Rider laughed. "Wow, Master. Not even telling the kid about me? That's some trust."

Kiritsugu sighed.

Rider ribbed Shirou. "Don't worry, I'll fill you in. Maybe. Eventually."

Kiritsugu approached him. "We'll be having a meeting with Rin and Saber tonight. I won't be there to minimize hostilities, but I'll fill you in on the basics. Use good judgement when making any decisions. Alright?"

Shirou nodded.

Kiritsugu handed him some papers. "You can read these later. For now, let's just start with our plans going forward."

* * *

 _Sorry for the short chapter this week; we should be back to longer chapters next week. Anywho, review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Well that was interesting wonder if Shirou is going to act as proxy for Kiritsugu as a mediator brtween him and Saber. That also reminds me, is Shirou ever going to get a love interest?_ – Yeah, that's pretty much the idea. As for a love interest, I'm leaning towards 'no,' but that's not definitive at the moment.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Shirou, don't hold yourself back and just call Sora dad already, before its too late!_ – Haha, he still has this kind of weird juxtaposition between 'mentor' and 'father' he's not entirely sure how to handle (having mostly just called him his 'mentor' for the first few years of his life). _By the way... do you plan on Disney/KH Merlin being Saber's mentor?_ – I hadn't intended it, since technically they'd be considered two different individuals from different worlds. _(Alaya is quiet. Does she already know something's up?)_ – Probably.

 **reality devitant:** _wonder what difference will be about shirou this time_ – What, indeed.

 **Parks98:** _As far as I remember Dinadan isn't the strongest of the knights of the round but he was the most wittiest (has an actual sense of humor I know it's surprising) and most passive type so it's a good thing that he's with kiritsugu so that he can be a moderator between him and Saber._ – Yep! Those are kind of the reasons I chose him, actually. _When it comes to magic resistance I'm pretty sure that most stuff won't be able to do jack against a servant since C rank is "Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against Magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals" so that means most common weak spells won't do jack and only high level magic will effect them which honestly makes me feel like only Aqua would do or if Lea fought and used his more powerful Fire spells._ – Interesting point. I think I'm probably going to make a list for myself later of 'things that will and will not affect Servants' just to try and keep things straight.

 **ultima-owner:** _Saber must be kicking herself because she would have ruined her kingdom with that wish granting cup._ – She's a little bit distraught right now, yeah.

 **SonicFan12:** _Who is Kiristugu saying caused what? Also, can't wait to see Sora and Shirou's reaction when they learn who Saber is._ – Not entirely sure what part your referring to? If you want to direct me to it I could hopefully clear up the confusion. As for their reaction, Sora will probably have the biggest, considering he remembers Arthur better than Shirou.

 **Joachim Armster:** _I saw some comments on magic resist and decided to point out misconjecture. NP's of C rank are considered to be A rank in terms of power and would require an equivalent resistance. The only NP saber is known to resist is avengers D NPs and B is considered average. Second lancers stats reflect his passive stats he has runes which can further raise his stats and skills by one rank. Finally with b rank resistence saber was able to completely ignore casters beams which matched rins gems which could could easily level a city block, so c rank would atleast blunt the assult. Sry if there was alot of scaling in that last scentence, but we don't see much lower end magic in fate thanks to the inneffectiveness of it against our protagonists. As for this chapter itself the combat felt off this time around more like a list than a fight, but i am enjoying the build up of the story._ – It's fine! It's interesting to see different people play around with how they think the power levels would work, and nice to get lots of different input. I agree on the fight, honestly, so hopefully I can improve that in later chapters.

 **MagicArts10:** _Okay regarding magic resistance. Magic obviously works differently in Kingdom Hearts then in Nasuverse e.g. Fate Stay Night. So even the most powerful spells in Kingdom Hearts are going to below a single verse. So even "common" spells in Kingdom Hearts should be able to hurt servants" since a Keyblade technically is a Noble Phantasm in a way, I'm pretty sure the Organisation's XIII members weapons like Axel's Chakrams is also similar to Noble Phantasm as well. Also Mages in Kingdom Hearts are a lot more powerful compared to Mages in the Nasuverse. I mean even the weakest member of Organisation XIII - Roxas is easily on par with some of the strongest mages in the Nasuverse like Aoko Aozaki. Xemnas is probably even stronger than Arcueid at least in his Twilight Form. Aoko alone is said to be able to hold her own against Servants. So I'm pretty Sora as a Keyblade Master should be able to hold his own against even the strongest servants._ – I actually wouldn't consider Keyblades or the Organization's weapons Noble Phantasms. For the Keyblades, they kind of exist in a weird space of their own, where they're stronger than normal swords but not…exactly what you'd typically call a Phantasm? It's a little complicated to place them, but basically they have their own weird niche. The Organization's weapons are easier, as I've always considered them more 'normal' weapons that are able to be summoned. I also don't think I'd entirely agree on the Kingdom Hearts mages being more powerful than the Nasuverse mages, largely because their magic is so different. In certain aspects, the Kingdom Hearts mages would seem stronger (considering they have access to time-based spells that most mages in the Nasuverse would consider true magic, and other similar aspects), but as for raw firing power, I think they'd be evenly matched. There are also different specialties between the two, as certain things Nasuverse mages can do that Kingdom Hearts mages can't, and vice versa. (The first example I can think of is it'd be much harder for them to create any sort of mystic code or magical weaponry than the Nasuverse mages.) Essentially, some areas one is better than the other, and others its reversed. (On an unrelated note, I find it kind of funny that I had two comments on the whole magic resistance thing right in a row.)

 _Let me know your thoughts on the (rather short) chapter!_


	52. Allies

_Here's chapter fifty – two. Thank you RedRat8, ultima-owner, Parks98, Joachim Armster, and SonicFan12 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Two: Allies**

Saber walked the familiar streets behind her Master. She recalled, once, chasing Rider through them in pursuit of Irisviel, and how fruitless that had been. How that had eventually led her to the final battle.

And now she returned, to meet a new Rider, in a new War, without any ground to stand on.

She clenched her fists and focused on her Master. "What is the plan?"

"You mean about the Grail? Well, we still have to either disable the other Masters or convince them not to fight." She sighed. "Or go through with the War as normal and destroy the Grail again, and find some way to dismantle it afterwards."

Saber nodded.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"From what Kiritsugu said, you staked a lot on winning this thing." Rin glanced back. "I can't go through this with a half-hearted Servant, you know."

"My own feelings on the matter are irrelevant now. If this is a source of danger, it needs to be taken care of. That's all." Her voice came out detached, flinty, and something inside her chest tightened.

Rin eyed her, but didn't argue further. Instead she turned to the house they quickly approached.

They passed the entryway, moving to the door. Rin knocked.

The spitting image of Irisviel answered.

Saber blinked.

The girl said, "About time. We were beginning to think you'd never show up."

 _This must be Illyasviel._ The girl who'd played with Kiritsugu in the snow seemed far removed from the girl who now stood in the doorway.

Rin huffed. "We got here exactly on time. Are you going to let us in?"

"I suppose. It'd be bad manners to just leave you outside." Illya moved aside, flashing a cheeky grin.

Rin's eye twitched, but she passed.

Saber hesitated. She braced herself and followed.

Illya closed the door. "Everyone's already in the kitchen!"

Three figures surrounded the table: Rider, wearing, much as she once had, one of Kiritsugu's old suits; the red-haired boy, fingering a star-shaped charm around his neck; and the brown-haired man, who flashed them a warm smile.

Saber turned to the boy. "You are Shirou, correct?"

The boy jerked, then nodded. "Nice to properly meet you, Saber." He extended a hand.

Saber blinked. "Likewise." She accepted the handshake, and glanced towards the man.

"Sora," he offered.

Saber asked, "But where is—?"

"My Master won't be joining us," Rider interrupted. "Shirou here's going to act as proxy Master."

Saber flashed him a surprised look. "That is—generous. But it's not necessary. You do not always have the luxury of working with—"

Sora interjected, "But we _do_ this time. Besides, he'll still be helping out, just behind the scenes." He gave her a faint, tired smile. "Relax. He knows he's hurt you—this is his weird way of trying to fix things, without, you know, actually handing you the Grail."

Saber stared. Something in his eyes seemed strange—like he knew things he shouldn't, and perhaps like he'd seen and survived things no human should have to. They reminded her a little of Merlin's eyes, if lacking the mischief.

She sat, slowly, beside Rin.

Rin cleared her throat. "If that's settled, let's get down to business. Shirou. I'm assuming Kiritsugu already filled you in?"

He nodded. "He thinks the best plan for now is to go after the Masters that we already know. He said a family named 'Matou' would be the easiest."

Rin nodded, shoulders tensing slightly. "Yeah, that'd probably be easiest. I think we might be able to convince her not to fight."

Shirou shot her a sharp look.

Sora, almost simultaneously, frowned.

Saber glanced between them. "We suspect Bazett is at a hotel in New City. Perhaps Rin and I should search for her."

Rider snorted. "That's some confidence you have in me, Your Majesty."

"Of course. Need I remind you we don't have any idea who the Matou Servant is?"

Rider leaned away and scratched his neck. "Well when you put it like that."

Shirou said, "Kiritsugu did some scouting, and said it seems that Caster might be at Ryuudou Temple. Something about leylines?"

Rin said, "They contain the magical energy that fills the world." She gave him an odd look. "How don't you know that?"

Shirou glanced aside.

Sora answered, "We're a bit of a different breed of mage. Anyway, Kiritsugu planned to go investigate the temple further before settling on anything. I'm going with him for backup."

Saber sat straighter. "Wouldn't it be better to send a Servant, just in case?"

Rin said, "I agree. The Matou Master's not likely to be as dangerous."

Sora asked, "How would you know that, Rin?"

Rin spluttered.

Sora lifted a hand and smiled apologetically. "Relax. I'm going partly for my own interests, too. You see, there's this guy Shirou and I are looking for—he's the main reason we're back in Fuyuki. If these 'leylines' are so powerful, I'd like to see if they attracted him there, too."

Saber narrowed her eyes.

Rin considered him.

"We're both experienced fighters, and we're not taking any risks."

Rin sighed. "And you're both going regardless of what I say."

"Pretty much." Sora sobered. "We know what this can turn into. If things start looking bad, we'll back out."

Rider said, "Once we've talked to all of them we can meet back here, right? I heard it was bigger than your place." He looked towards Rin.

"Yeah. I have familiars searching for the other Masters."

Shirou said, "So does Kiritsugu. Hopefully we'll find them with so many eyes."

Rin said, "If that's all, then we can each go about our tasks tomorrow and meet up again."

Illya coughed from the doorway. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Rin flashed her an irritated look. "You aren't a Master or proxy Master."

"Neither is Sora. Besides," she added over Rin's protest, "my Dad's a Master. I should get a say."

Saber watched her. _If what Illyasviel said is true, then she's likely the Grail's vessel._ A shiver ran up her spine. _What does this mean for her?_

Rin's expression relaxed slightly, something glittering in her eyes.

Sora suggested, "You could keep an eye on the familiars here. See if any of them report something."

Illya huffed. "I'm not a child. I can defend myself."

Sora exchanged glances with Rider. "Alright," he said finally. "You can be part of the next meeting."

Illya frowned, but didn't comment.

Rin sighed. "Let's talk tomorrow." She moved towards the door.

Sora and Shirou remained at the table, talking quietly.

Rider stood, following a departing Illya.

Saber caught his arm. "Dinadan."

Rider paused and glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What are your thoughts on this?"

Rider focused on her a long moment, then turned away, expression unreadable. "I don't think it matters. We have to do something anyways, right?"

"But to be summoned," she paused, then continued again, slowly, quietly, "To be summoned, surely you had a wish?"

A long pause stretched between them. "Not that was that important." He inhaled deeply and turned back to her with a lopsided smile. "Hey, when did you get so informal with us, hm? Come on, this didn't shake you up that badly."

Saber started.

Rider pulled away. "Anyway, lots to do. See you later, Your Majesty."

Saber watched his retreating back, then turned, slowly, and followed Rin out the door.

 **-A man** glanced towards the church's arching roof. He touched the cross around his neck and muttered a quick prayer.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

He lifted his head slowly. "Is it true? What happened to the orphans here?"

A deep voice rumbled, "Perhaps. Why do you ask?"

The man took a deep breath. "This holy place has been tainted. By the War, and by you."

"I suppose it has."

"You're _alright_ with that?" The man whipped around. "You're a priest, as well."

"For all your protests, you still willingly took the position of overseer."

"That's—that's my own business."

"I never said it wasn't." The man crossed himself and bowed. "But if you're so opposed to me, why not kick me out? You have no obligation to shelter me."

"Whatever my opinions, you are a brother in need. Besides," he grimaced, "Caren would be quite displeased."

"Oh?"

Laughter echoed around the cathedral. "Don't act so coy, Kirei." A golden-haired man stepped from the shadows, red eyes gleaming.

The second priest took a step away, gripping his cross. "Gilgamesh."

"That's _King_ to you, mongrel." Gilgamesh stalked towards him. "You may have been a useful servant, but don't outstep your bounds."

The man muttered, "I only have one King." Louder, he asked, "What were you two planning, when you did this?" He gestured towards the back of the church.

Gilgamesh eyed him coldly.

He swallowed and took a hesitant step away.

Kirei smirked. "They would have provided a plentiful energy source for Gilgamesh, should he have need of it."

"And now?"

Gilgamesh flashed a small smile. "It is time the world once again knows who their true king is."

The overseer shuddered.

Gilgamesh turned. "I grow tired of this. Kirei. I expect you'll be ready when the time is right." He left.

Kirei leaned forward.

The overseer glanced towards him.

The man flicked his gaze upwards. "Do you know how the orphans were freed?"

The overseer started. He shook his head. "The police were called."

"Yes, but who would've possibly called them? Neither Gilgamesh nor I would have the desire."

The overseer blinked. His eyes widened slowly. "One of the orphans."

"Indeed. And he was not alone." He smirked. "A man and a boy with strange, key-like weapons." He paused. "Did you know there are worlds beyond our own?"

The overseer started. "Well—yes, certainly, there's Heaven—"

"Not just an afterlife. Worlds that support life. That are much like our own."

The overseer remained silent.

"It's fascinating, isn't it, how so many different places can exist within the Kaleidoscope." He lowered his head. "Those keys belong to these 'outside worlds.' I intend to understand them a little better."

The overseer noted his eyes and shivered. "Where would you get this information from?"

Kirei smirked.

A shape materialized in the back of the church, shadowy, indistinct.

"A visitor informed me."

* * *

 _Ah, well…it_ is _longer than last chapter. Considering the events of the next three chapters, though, this seemed the best place to cut it off. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Shame that Shirou does not have anything to deal with in terms of the opposite sex. That would have been fun to see him deal with._ – I think it's partly because I don't usually gravitate towards romance in my stories (though there are exceptions), and…I really don't know who this particular Shirou would end up with. I'm kind of curious about who people think he'd be compatible with, though.

 **ultima-owner:** _That park is so creepy yet normal looking._ – Yep. Probably not somewhere you'd want to end up alone…

 **Parks98:** _Well let's hope that Saber gets better from "hey we know that you went through a lot of shit and that supposedly that war you fought in was going to grant your wish but turns out it's not going to happen" hopefully something positive will happen and she won't have any regrets after this grail war._ – That _is_ the end goal, but we'll see.

 **Joachim Armster:** _Interesting so, with kotomine missing and berserker out that leaves caster or worms master as the two massive forces of threat and at least one other unknown. If i had to guess were going heavens feel or the awesome alaya backed gil as the hardest battles of the story._ – Oh, it's certainly going to be interesting.

 **SonicFan12:** Left out the story part for brevity's sake, but I'd kind of wondered if that was it! That's actually supposed to be Kiritsugu saying _he_ caused fire. Sorry for the confusion. _Also, feels kind of weird that Shirou and Saber aren't linked together in some way, but that is probably due to the fact he doesn't have Avalon in him doesn't it? And it's probably that lack of Avalon that has his Origin being Heart right?_ – Yep, that's pretty much the nail on the head! His Origin being Heart also has to do with Sora's rescue of him, and without Avalon to interfere, Sora's influence basically got full reign.

 _Drop a review, please! I appreciate any thoughts you send my way._


	53. Faded Faces

_Here's chapter fifty – three. Thank you RedRat8, Well-Intentioned Anti-Villain, ultima-owner, Aburg76, Parks98, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Three: Faded Faces**

Shirou asked, "This is the Matou Mansion?"

An old building towered, dark and foreboding. A few ivy strands snaked up the walls.

Rider shrugged. "That's what my Master said. Guess we'll find out." He adjusted his suit and grimaced.

Shirou nodded. He took a deep breath, approached the door, and knocked.

No one answered.

Shirou frowned, searched for a doorbell and, finding none, knocked louder.

 _"What?"_

Shirou jumped.

Someone thumped towards the door. "I'm _coming_ , geez." A blue-haired boy opened the door. He frowned. "Who are you two?"

"Shirou."

Rider glanced beyond him. "Your friend seems angry."

The boy blanched. "Huh?"

"That's really unfair, you know. We've come to discuss an alliance and you want to set your dog on us?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Alliance?"

Shirou asked, "You _are_ a Matou, right?"

Rider added, "Or there's an unknown Master here. Your Servant's not making much of an attempt to hide themselves."

"Yes—yes, I'm the Matou Master." The boy grinned. "So you've heard of me?"

Shirou furrowed his eyebrows. "We'd heard the Master was a girl. Sakura Matou."

"Huh? Who gave you that info?" The boy frowned, then jabbed a finger in his direction. "The only Master here's _me_."

"Well, great," Rider said, pushing past him. "Then you won't mind us coming in to talk, right?"

Shirou extended a hand, then sighed, dropping it.

The boy whipped around. "Hey, w-wait! You can't just barge in like that."

Rider paused and gave him a blank look, then deadpanned, "May I come in, sir?"

The boy didn't answer.

Shirou said, "We really do have important matters to discuss with you. Please." He touched the boy's heart. Pride and frustration and fear warred for dominance. "We know you have the strongest Servant. That's why this is important."

The boy sniffed. "Well, of course. But only a novice would allow another Master and Servant into their house!"

Rider stared.

"We won't do anything. We just want to talk."

The boy eyed him. "Fine. But let's talk somewhere else."

A new voice interrupted, "Let them stay, Shinji." A purple-haired girl approached them, dress fluttering around her legs, dead eyes staring.

Shinji stiffened. "I don't answer to you."

"I'm the one who let you become a Master." She turned piercing eyes towards Shirou. "Let them stay."

An odd, dark miasma curled around her heart, preventing Shirou from probing. He eyed her warily.

Rider did the same. "We could talk about things in the living room, easy. Pretty neutral, right?"

Shinji said, "I suppose." He strutted passed.

Shirou exchanged a glance with Rider and followed.

Sakura trailed behind, and Shirou sensed another heart—emotions muted, though he could sense curiosity—following. Unearthly power thrummed through the link.

Shirou broke contact.

Shinji stopped in a large room. A sofa and several chairs sat in a semi-circle around the back. A few bookcases stood opposite. Stairs trailed upwards.

Shinji lounged in one of the seats and gestured. "Sit. No sense talking about delicate matters while standing, right?"

Shirou and Rider exchanged glances, then sat on the sofa.

The girl remained standing, hands clasped before her, face impassive.

"So," Shinji drawled, "what sort of alliance?" The corners of his mouth twitched.

Shirou cast an uncertain look towards Rider. He touched the boy's heart; pride flooded it almost completely, followed by a weird sort of desperation. "It's a different sort of alliance. Special."

"Oh?"

"What would you do if I told you the Grail was flawed?"

The girl shot him a sharp look.

Irritation fluttered through the boy's heart. "I'd say you're lying."

Rider shook his head. "We know the guy who won the Grail during the last War. Ever wonder why a wish was never granted? Why the War's starting early?"

Uncertainty tainted the irritation. "Well, I just figured the victor didn't have any imagination."

Shirou asked, "Do you know what caused the fire ten years ago?"

"You honestly expect me to believe that _Grail_ caused that? Are you sure that wasn't just that guy's wish?"

Rider pressed, "But there's still something _unusual_ about this, right?"

Shirou said, "We came to you first for a reason."

The pride flared again slightly, though suspicion overwhelmed it. "Well, of course. The Matou's are the greatest Magus family there is."

The girl's eyes bored into Shirou's skull.

He ignored her, continuing, "If you help us, you could get even greater rewards than if you won the Grail."

"Like what?"

Rider answered, "Fame. Prestige. You'd be one of the mages who actually managed to take apart the Grail."

Shinji eyed them. "I don't buy it. You guys just want me to step out so you can have the Grail to yourselves."

Shirou exchanged glances with Rider. The Servant stepped forward. "Okay, kid. Here's the deal. Say we team up and help you beat the Masters not allied with us. _Then_ we sit down and figure out what to do with the Grail."

"Y-you already have Masters allied with you? Wasn't _I_ the first you asked?"

"After the War started, yeah. We didn't know who was who beforehand. Our other teammate was someone we knew beforehand—who has Saber as her Servant, by-the-by." He grinned and extended a hand. "What do you say? Probably better than going it alone, eh? Could even have an ally draw up a geiss for you, if you're nervous."

Shinji's gaze flicked between Rider, his hand, and back again. Uncertainty warred with temptation.

Something darker bubbled beneath the surface. Shirou narrowed his eyes and examined it closer. _There's pride there. And some fear. But what is—_

 _Oh._ "Wait, Shinji—"

Rider shot him a surprised look.

Shinji stood. "I can win this War on my own. The Grail is _mine_ , got it? So just stay out of our way." He whipped around. "Come on, Berserker."

Rider shouted, "Hey, wait, we didn't mean anything—"

Shinji whipped around with a sneer. "You think you're so much better than me? Well, Berserker is stronger than any Servant you could've summoned. We'll do fine on our own." He left.

Silence hovered over the room. Rider broke it with a sigh. "Well. That could've gone better." He stood.

Shirou rose, as well.

The girl caught his gaze. "Wait."

Shirou glanced towards her.

"I'm sorry for my brother. Please stay?"

Shirou hesitated, then half-sat on the sofa's arm.

"My name is Sakura."

He suddenly realized he'd never introduced himself. "Shirou."

"Is what you said about the Grail true? It's cursed?"

"Yeah." Shirou clenched a fist.

"So fighting for it's meaningless? Unless you want bad things to happen?"

Shirou nodded. He hesitantly touched her heart. The dark miasma warped and steeled against his probing. A shiver ran down his spine. The darkness seemed familiar. He braced himself and began exploring around her heart.

"It's nice you want to stop it, but it's futile. Grandfather will obtain the Grail, whether or not it's cursed."

Rider said, "You seem awfully confident about that."

"No one can go against Grandfather. Not even Shinji, though he'd like to."

Shirou said absently, "So that's who he wanted to please so badly."

"Yes." If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "It's better to just stand aside. You won't get caught in the crossfire that way."

Rider snorted. "Yeah, well, I don't think we really have that option."

Shirou said, "Other people _will_ get caught, though."

"But that's not your concern." She blinked.

Shirou paused, his examination of her heart temporarily stilled. "I'm more involved than you think," he whispered. He glanced sideways as the Servant's heart flared. "You didn't leave with Shinji?"

"Hmm?" Momentarily Sakura's walls fell down, surprise briefly flashing through the dark miasma.

Shirou jabbed a magical strand through the hold the walls open, barely registering Sakura's flinch. "The Servant."

" _You_ can sense her?" Sadness and surprise faintly flashed over the link. Something dark lingered behind, painful and shifting and _unusual._

Realization dawned. "That's what you're doing, isn't it—sitting out. Because you don't think you can defeat your grandfather?"

Sakura stiffened. "Of course not."

"Why?"

"I've already watched those who try fail."

Shirou didn't answer immediately. For a moment flames fluttered around him, the world muted, and he found himself standing amidst a burning city, clinging desperately to a Keyblade. "Does that mean you don't try, if you know what they're doing is wrong?"

Sakura didn't answer.

Shirou carefully pushed the miasma aside. "Is Shinji a proxy, then? For you, I mean."

"I think you should leave."

"I didn't mean—"

"Please. Before you upset him."

Rider said, "Maybe we should just talk to him, too, if you're so worried. Where is the old guy?"

" _No_." For a moment the darkness cleared completely, and Shirou linked fully.

An overwhelming numbness flooded Shirou's senses, stifling his thoughts, his feelings. Muted emotions swam beneath, only briefly touching the surface. The numbness wrapped Shirou's lungs and throat, suffocating him. The world flared white. His ears rang.

He saw Sakura, standing in a school, bow in hand. A red-headed figure stood with her, back towards him.

 _Is that me?_

Something _else_ absconded the link, wrapping the scene in darkness. A voice hissed through his head that he couldn't decipher, and he fell, spinning, helpless, frozen.

The darkness left the link, and, momentarily, he sensed another presence, withered and old and out of place.

He cut the link. His hearing returned slowly, Rider's voice fading in.

"—uess there's no point in arguing any longer."

His vision returned. He took deep breaths.

"Shirou?"

He whipped towards Rider.

Rider watched him with a frown. "You alright? You look kind of pale."

Shirou wiped sweat from his neck. "Fine." He sent a pleading look towards Sakura. "You really won't listen?"

Sakura shook her head. "I won't stop you. But," she fixed him with a serious, intense look, "this won't end well. If you're prepared for failure, then I suppose you might not be hurt too badly."

Rider said, "Thanks for the advice." He tugged Shirou to his feet.

The two moved towards the door. Shirou hesitated and glanced at Sakura.

The girl watched, her expression blank. A figure shimmered into existence behind her—another girl, small, holding a strange weapon, a curious expression on her face.

The door shut and cut his view.

He whipped around, rubbing a hand over his face.

Rider heaved a sigh. "I thought Rin said that'd be easy."

"They didn't attack."

"Yeah, but they didn't really seem like they'd change their minds, either."

"Should we really have left so easily?"

"Hey, pick your battles. Shinji would've been a pain. Sakura would be better for us as a Master. Problem is she's not likely to take Berserker's reigns back. We might be able to convince her, but it'll take time."

Shirou nodded.

"You still with me, kid? Don't space out."

Shirou started.

"Something on your mind?"

Shirou glanced back towards the mansion, fading into the distance. "No. It's fine."

Rider eyed him, but turned away without prying. "Well, let's get back. I don't imagine the others'll be done yet, but there's not much else for us to do for now."

Shirou nodded. He clenched his fists, steeled himself, and moved a bit faster.

Sakura's blank expression and the odd, disturbing darkness remained imprinted on his mind the entire walk back.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Think he probably be a bit compatible with Melody, perhaps Xion. Maybe even one of the girls from his home if he is given enough time to interact with them. I mean it was during the Grail War that he started to have relationships._ – True. Who knows—maybe the characters will surprise me.

 **Well-Intentioned Anti-Villain:** _You know that Sora is a common name in Japan, right? Riku and Kairi are also a Japanese name. It was so unlikely that Sora wouldn't be able to understand Japanese._ – I'd like to point out is that having a name from a certain ethnicity doesn't mean you understand the language it's from, especially if you haven't been brought up in a family that actively speaks that language. That's the case here; Sora is from an entirely different world, one which doesn't speak any of the common languages here on Earth (which Gaia/Alaya is based on). The fact that he couldn't read Japanese was meant to show that 'off-worlder' aspect.

 **ultima-owner:** _If Gilgamesh gets to outside worlds he'll cause so much death and chaos._ – Which is why he should never be let off his world. To be fair, Alaya would not be pleased if he left.

 **Aburg76:** _That wish of Rider's that he won't speak off might come back to bight them later._ – Might? I'd say it _probably_ will.

 **Parks98:** _So not only does everyone have to deal with Zouken, Kirei and Gil but also the shadow man is WORKING with those two assholes...that and apparently we have another guy working with Kirei who has a servant._ – Actually, that guy at the end was the new Overseer—unless you're referring to someone else? But other than that, yeah, they're in trouble.

 **Galer:** _Kirei have a hearlest...let me repeat that KOTOMINE FUCKING KIREI HAVE A HEARLEST. And probably a nobody...why i have the sensation that the war is goiint to more f*kep up that normal..._ – Actually, that man hiding in the shadows at the end was the guy who encouraged Shirou to return home, something that will be addressed more directly later on. That last statement is entirely accurate, though.

 _Any thoughts, criticisms, predictions? Drop a review and let me know!_


	54. Negotiations

_So, early update! I'm sure people are wondering why (especially if it's updating at a drastically different time), but I just found out the winter weather advisory for tomorrow is worse than it was and, since I have to leave very early tomorrow morning for work, I need all the time I can get._

 _Thank you uhhh, Kiri Kaitou Clover, RedRat8, Galer, reality deviant, Deathclaw, SonicFan12, ultima-owner, DPSS, and The Rank 5 Ninja for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Four: Negotiations**

Rin strode towards the hotel. Sunlight glinted across the buildings. People passed her and Saber.

The Servant trailed slightly behind. All traces of her earlier disquiet were gone; an intense focus replaced it, her eyes occasionally flicking sideways, but otherwise staying locked on the building.

Rin took a deep breath and focused again. She and Saber hadn't announced their arrival; she hoped the populated area and broad daylight would deter aggressive action, but she still had to contend with the traps Bazett already had set.

"Rune craft," Waver had informed her the night before. "Advanced. Unless you're well versed, it'll take a while to dismantle, and that's assuming you don't activate a counter-trap."

She'd asked, "Is there any way to weaken it?"

"Perhaps, but it might not be enough to get you through safely."

Rin had nodded, then asked, "Would it be possible to insert something into the runes that might de-activate the more dangerous?"

Waver hesitated. "I suppose."

"Good."

Now she hoped a night spent studying would be enough.

She and Saber entered the hotel. Rin approached the service desk. "Hello. I'm looking for someone. I'm supposed to meet them here."

The attendant glanced at her, then his computer. "Name?"

"Bazett McFraga."

"Do you want me to call her?"

"No, that's alright. I'm sure she already knows I'm here. Just let me know the room number." Her circuits flared with a mild hypnosis spell.

The man stared. "Of course." He glanced to the computer. "Her room's two-hundred fourteen."

"Thank you." She stepped away.

Saber watched her with a questioning expression.

"Come on. We're going to take a bit of a walk."

 **-Bazett** scanned her papers fruitlessly, then sighed.

"Come on, Master," Lancer said, lounging, "you're not going to find anything new there."

Bazett put the papers aside and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It doesn't make sense. Why assign an overseer that so obviously _loathes_ the Grail War? Of course he's not going to let anyone into the church to ask questions."

"You're assuming he knows anything about this other priest."

Bazett flashed him a look, then paused.

Lancer tensed, then grinned. "We've got a visitor."

Bazett nodded. "Scout it, but don't start anything. Let me know what's going on once you find them."

Lancer sighed, then vanished.

 **-Rin** moved painstakingly slowly up the stairwell. She ran her fingers carefully along the walls, glancing about. "Come on. I know they've got to be around here some—"

A sense of overwhelming dread abruptly washed over her. She froze momentarily, took a few steps back, and activated her circuits.

The dread faded, but she remained tensed.

Saber asked, "This was the trap Waver spoke of?"

"One of them. It's designed to cause fear in whoever's looking at the area. Normally just activating magic circuits dispels it, but if what Waver said is true, there's a second defense inside the actual barrier that'll incinerate anyone enemies with their circuits going."

Saber nodded, steel-eyed.

"We'll have to be careful while looking for those runes."

"And if they are inside the field?"

"Hopefully it won't matter too much. I don't expressly need to weaken the field to talk, it just makes it easier." She squatted, examining the steps, the walls, the ceiling, and carefully crawled her way up the stairs.

Saber rested a hand on her shoulder. "Rin." She pointed.

A rune glimmered, faintly visible, on the ceiling just ahead.

Rin nodded. She pulled out a small stone and touched her finger to it. "That's 'Sowilo.' That must be where the actual field starts." She narrowed her eyes and concentrated, carving a small, upside-down arrow. _Tiwaz, reversed._ The magic hummed through her finger, glowing and warming. Faint blue lines dribbled down the rock. She took a deep, steadying breath and focused the prana more concisely. When she finished the rune blazed at her.

She lobbed it into the field.

The field flashed red briefly.

They both waited. Saber asked, "Was that enough?"

"Probably not, but it'll weaken it enough to attract attention." Rin focused and began drawing _Ansuz_. "And hopefully this will be enough to explain that we just want to talk, not fight."

Saber nodded.

Rin finished the line and started on another.

Saber tensed. "Rin."

"I know. Get ready."

"You know," Lancer's voice drawled, "there are easier ways to get our attention."

Rin finished the rune, ignoring the hairs lifting on her neck. "Lancer."

"Hey." He materialized, lance braced across his shoulders, smirking. "So what brings you two out here, and makes you think you can get away with such sloppy rune work." He nodded to the line of _Ansuz._

"We'd like to speak to your Master."

"She's indisposed at the moment. I'll be taking all callers."

"Very well. We've come to discuss a cease-fire."

"Oh?" Lancer's amused expression dropped a little.

"There are some revelations that have come to light that we need to examine."

"Afraid that's your problem."

"It might be everyone's." Rin paused. "Has she heard the rumors about the Holy Grail?"

"Huh?" Lancer paused, head tilted, expression contorting briefly. "Yeah, apparently. What are these rumors?"

"That the Grail's not functioning as expected. The Mages' Association was supposed to send someone to investigate." She narrowed her eyes.

Lancer paused. "And something's been found?"

"No. In fact, no investigation has taken place. We plan to ask the overseer to issue an over-all cease-fire until someone's able to look into things."

"Huh." Lancer jerked, then smirked. "Heh. Guess that got her attention."

Rin glanced him.

Bazett strode towards them.

Lancer saluted. "Hey, Master. Glad you could join us."

Bazett eyed Rin thoughtfully. "You're the young Tohsaka heir, correct?"

"That's right."

Bazett cupped her chin. "He'd probably jump right on the chance, assuming he could convince the other contestants." Her eyes flicked to Rin's. "Why come and tell us if you're just going to ask the overseer, anyways?"

"A similar incident happened in the last War with Caster. The cease-fire was completely ignored by most Masters. This was confirmed by three former participants."

Bazett blinked. "You know that many people who've participated?"

Rin nodded. "I'm sure you've heard of Lord El-Melloi II?"

"Yes. I hadn't realized he'd decided to come visit."

"He's interested in what's going on with the Grail."

Lancer snorted. "And what if we _don't_ cooperate with you, Lass?"

Rin opened her mouth, but Saber spoke before she had the chance. "You're interested in battling, correct, Lancer?"

Lancer shot her a look. "Yeah. That's the whole reason I agreed to participate in this battle."

"Then promise to hold to the cease-fire with the other Servants, and I will grant your wish."

Rin whipped towards her. "Saber?"

Lancer's grin broadened. "Oh? You're offering a fight?"

"At my all. Three nights from now at Fuyuki's park."

Lancer rolled his weapon and glanced aside. "Heh. That's a tempting offer."

Bazett said, "If we accept, there's one more thing I have to ask."

Rin eyed her suspiciously. "And that is?"

"I've never had much personal interest in the Grail—I'm here mostly because I'm supposed to be. However, I have a personal investigation I could use some help with."

"What kind of help?"

"Are you familiar with a man by the name of Kotomine Kirei? I believe he used to be a family friend of yours."

A chill ran up Rin's spine. "Yes. I knew him."

Bazett took a few paces and removed some papers from her coat, scanning them. "A former Inquisitor who became a Master in the last Grail War. He was reported to have survived, but disappeared when a group of orphans were found in his church's basement." She handed the papers to Rin.

Rin hesitated, then accepted them. They contained nothing she didn't already know—bits of her former guardian's mysterious past and personality, his abilities as a mage and Inquisitor, and the supposed reason for his departure. Rin's fingers tightened, crinkling the paper. "Why are you looking for him?"

"His disappearance reeks of trouble. Whether a magus made an effort to silence him, or he left on his own, we don't have the whole story." Bazett fixed Rin with a serious, searching look. "Those orphans were from the fire, weren't they?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe solving this mystery can benefit us both."

Rin's head jerked. The two mages watched each other, eyes locked, separated by an invisible bounded field, and she understood immediately that this existed purely as a formality—the minute either side achieved their goals, they'd turn against each other.

She nodded. At least for now, Bazett would stand down. "I assume you want my information on him?"

"And access to the church."

"I'm not sure I can promise that. I don't know this new overseer."

"Try."

Rin clenched her fists. "Fine. Can I guarantee that I'll be safe delivering the information?"

"I'll visit the church on my own at a later date. I'll meet you in the hotel lobby when you deliver the information."

Rin shook her head. "No. I'll bring it with me to Lancer and Saber's battle at the park."

Bazett didn't answer for a few moments. "Fair enough. We'll talk again in three days." She turned and departed.

Lancer smirked and waved. "Catch you later." He dematerialized.

Rin released her breath. She turned abruptly, striding quickly down the steps and out the building.

Saber followed silently.

They walked through the streets, quiet, for some time before Saber said, "That went better than expected."

Rin pursed her lips and clenched her fists. "Saber. Why did make that offer?"

"It seemed logical. Lancer is most interested in fighting. If we wanted his cooperation, then we had to give him something he'd be interested in."

"At the potential expense of my Servant? And if Lancer dies, the Grail's still one step closer to being completed."

Saber met her gaze. "I understand, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made."

"Right now, you're the Servant. Let _me_ worry about the sacrifices." She whipped around, only barely conscious of Saber's stiffened shoulders and flashing eyes.

* * *

 _The rune magic from this chapter was taken from this thread (without spaces): forums . spacebattles threads / nasuverse-rune-magic-brainstorming-thread-rune-magic-in-general . 231531 /_

 _Review responses:_

 **uhhh:** _Gil has no interest in other worlds since that would mean his own was not enough to satisfy the king. The fact that this world hosts him means that this world is the most interesting and others are of no interest._ – To be fair, I never actually said Gil had an interest in leaving his world—just that Alaya would not be pleased by it.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _... Shinji is still as ass who needs to die, no matter what alternate timeline/parallel universe this fic hails from. And Sakura... poor Sakura who never knew Shirou. I'm guessing at this point she's pretty much lost all hope of leaving the Matou family. I'm surprised that Shirou caught a glimpse of his alternate self though._ – Yeah, Sakura's…Sakura's not doing so well without Shirou. As for Shirou's vision, well…this isn't the first time he's seen things he shouldn't be able to. (Think Xion and the Wonderland chapters.) Wonder why that might be…

 **RedRat8:** _It is really kind of sad to see Sakura like this, it honestly hurts to see just how much life has crapped on her._ – She really does get the short end of the stick…

 **Galer:** _lets just hope that shirou and sore save poor sakura_ – I feel like everyone's rooting for that at this point.

 **reality deviant:** _i wonder just what shirou will make of Sakura and her heart._ – Right now, he's kind of concerned but doesn't really know much yet. You'll see what happens when he starts figuring more things out.

 **Deathclaw:** _Playing through F/GO if Gil gets out he will not be such a menace. He is basically just bitching at the current state of the world. He basically wants mankind to be awesome. When he was in his era in F/GO he was pretty chill. So basically it depends on the world he lands on. If he lands in Space Paranoids or any sci fi world with humans being awesome, he will be happy and not such death and chaos._ – I've actually only been keeping very intermittent tabs on Grand Order, so that's interesting to know! I think something like this was mentioned at some point when Extra CCC was coming out, too, if I'm remembering right.

 **SonicFan12:** _So how accurate to the source material is Sakura's backstory in this fic?_ – Pretty much the same as in the source material, just…minus Shirou.

 **ultima-owner:** _Her "grandfather" is like Oogie Boogie if you add a lot more brain power, disregard for human life, extreme sadism, and upgrade the "bugs"._ – That's…actually a really apt description.

 **DPSS:** _Now why the well wouldn't Sakura have a memory of Shirou from another world? Unless it came from the Sedvant in which case, who the hell did she summon?_ – _Was_ it Shirou from another world? And was it _this_ Sakura's memory? Food for thought.

 **The Rank 5 Ninja:** _So, Sakura and Shinji's situation is both the same as usual, yet different in some very concerning ways. I can't help but wonder just how much Zouken knows about the deal with Kingdom Hearts, because depending on the answer things could be that much worse for our heroes._ – Right now he's thankfully out of the loop, but given time… _And speaking of heroes, I really hope Shirou opens up to Rider and the others soon. The more information he keeps to his chest like this, the less others are going to know about their possible soon-to-be-opponents._ – Hey, he's learned from the best. –side-eyes Sora-

 _Can you guess what happens next chapter? Leave a review and let me know!_


	55. Storm

_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thank you DPSS, RedRat8, ultima-owner, Galer, SonicFan12, and Artsofdesire1 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Five: Storm**

Sora stood near the temple steps. The sun blazed, casting long shadows behind them.

Kiritsugu hadn't come along, instead sending familiars to investigate the area. All had quickly been destroyed or deterred, confirming his suspicion of Caster's presence. "She won't likely attack in broad daylight," he'd said. "Not unless her new Master's threatened or she senses another Master."

Sora said, "So I should be the one to go, then."

"There are people who come and go through the temple throughout the day. Just scout things and see what you can find. We'll make a combined effort tonight."

Now Sora stared. He glanced about. _No sign of danger yet. Hopefully everything goes smoothly._ He started up the stairs.

Birds chattered amicably. The trees provided cool shade. A couple passed him, talking quietly.

Sora tapped into his magic and let it radiate around the surrounding area, his focus elsewhere, eyes half-lidded. The world thrummed beneath him, but he didn't dare reach for her heart. Animal hearts pinged in the surrounding forest; a few human hearts registered on the stairs above, and he moved out of their way. More appeared at the stairs' top. He couldn't sense any Servant hearts.

He frowned. _If Caster's not here, then her Master probably isn't either. But._ He focused his magic, his steps slowing, and sent out a brief, more powerful pulse that radiated across the forest, the temple, the stairs.

An almost-unnoticeable heart appeared near the top of the steps. Another appeared further back, inside the temple.

Sora cut the magic. _There are_ two _Servants here?_ He focused on the temple's top, haloed by sunlight. _Then there are two Masters._

He kept his steady pace up the stairs. He glanced to the side when he reached the top.

No Servant stirred, but he wouldn't be surprised if they realized he knew their whereabouts.

He moved on, certain that, if what Kiritsugu said about the Servant was correct, Caster would be the one inside the temple. _Besides,_ he thought, _I'm not even sure who this Servant's Master could_ be. He eyed the citizens milling about—a few people kneeling in prayer, one talking to a monk. _Let's just try talking._ He approached the monk.

The monk turned, flashing him a smile. "Hello. Are you here to pray?"

"Not exactly." He activated his magic, attaching small tendrils to both individuals' hearts. "I'm visiting. I came here at a friend's suggestion. I just wanted to know if there were any interesting facts about the temple."

"Of course." He glanced towards the structure. "It's one of the oldest landmarks in Fuyuki, built here because of its spiritual power. There's a lake close by that's said to bring peace and happiness to anyone near it."

"Okay." Honesty and reverence echoed through the link between him and the monk. Skepticism came from the other individual, but neither seemed suspicious or particularly concerned about his interest. "Mind if I take a look around?"

"Of course not. Our temple is open to all visitors."

"Thanks." Sora started away, then paused. "Oh, just one more question—have you seen a man in a hooded cloak? Dark colored, kind of weird voice?"

Confusion pulsed from both hearts momentarily, followed by faint suspicion. "No," the monk said. "I've not seen anyone with that description."

"Alright. Thanks!" He cut the links and hurried away.

He went inside the temple first, traversing the hallways. A few monks passed, some occasionally stopping to give him odd looks, but otherwise paid him little mind. He slipped down one hallway and cracked a door. He narrowed his eyes, sending a pulse of magic out. _Further in._ He hurried down the hallways, pinpointing the room where the Servant lay.

He hesitated. _I don't know how hostile Caster will be. It might be better just to wait until tonight, when I know I'll have backup. We already know she killed her last Master._ He shifted and cupped his chin. _Then again, sneaking in at night's going to feel a lot more like an attack._ He considered his options, then dug through his pockets. He found a pen and small scrap of paper and scrawled a quick note: _We want to talk to you and your Master about the War. We don't want to fight._ He folded the note and slid it beneath the door, then took several steps back.

No one emerged—a quick pulse of magic told him the Servant hadn't even moved.

Sora rubbed the back of his head. _Well, we'll be back tonight. Maybe they'll have read it by then._ He turned away. _I should check out the lake while I'm here._

Something thrummed beneath his feat.

Sora paused, a shock running through his body. He took a deep breath and focused light magic around his heart.

The sensation passed.

He glanced at the ground. _Was that the world?_ He pursed his lips and turned away. _I'd better get going._

 **-Caster** sat in her workshop. The note lay open nearby.

She lifted her head as a presence materialized. "Well?"

The Servant shifted, causing the floorboards to creak. "He noticed my presence. Yours, too, I assume?"

"Yes."

"Hmph. I suppose it'd been a while since I've dealt with this sort. That _is_ what you want me to do, isn't it?"

"Yes. They'll be coming back. Make sure you head them off."

"Understood." He began to dematerialize.

"Don't disappoint me."

Wry amusement radiated across their link. "What a troublesome Master I have."

Caster fingered Rule Breaker. _You had better not betray me yet, boya. I still have need of you._

 **-A hooded** figure stood on the temple rooftop, gazing towards the lake. He folded his arms and shifted his weight. "Wonder how you'll handle _this_ , Keybearer?" He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "But I guess how you react isn't my problem."

He turned towards the stairs, the temple's opponents still not visible. "You'd better survive this. I'm not done with you yet."

A Dark Corridor opened behind him. He stepped backwards into it.

"Now. I wonder where your apprentice has gone?"

 **-Sora** approached the temple for the second time that day. He stood tall, but his magic fluctuated outwards, barely touching the surrounding area.

A voice crackled through the device in his ear: _"Anything?"_

He paused at the bottom of the steps and sent out a faint pulse. Nothing. "Not yet."

 _"Alright. I'm position in the woods near the temple gate. Let me know if anything changes."_

"Right." He ascended slowly, every so often sending out a pulse of magical energy. He hoped the world wouldn't notice, but, at this point, he thought that unlikely. _The fact that she hasn't responded at all yet is strange. She dragged Shirou and I here when we landed years ago. Why the silence now?_

A Servant's heart fluttered on the steps ahead.

Sora paused. He touched the device and whispered, "There's a Servant present, about halfway between the entrance and the gate."

 _"Do you know which one?"_

"No. The signature's pretty indistinct."

 _"Alright."_

Sora lowered his hand. He took a few hesitant steps and asked, "Did you get my note?"

Stony silence met his remark.

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to talk to you and your Master—and the other Servant allied with you. Look, I'm not even part of the Grail War." He removed his gloves and showed the backs of both hands. He dragged the gloves on again, continuing, "I have personal reasons for asking this. Can you materialize so we can talk?" He sent out another pulse of magic, briefly, to pinpoint the Servant.

A signature appeared, but further up, on top of the temple gate. _What is—?_

A figure materialized.

Sora's instincts screamed a warning. He flung himself off the stairs and into the forest

Something collided with the stairs where he'd been moments ago. Shards of rock and dirt peppered the air.

Sora scrambled to his feet.

A faint sound echoed near the temple gate; the Servant dematerialized, leaving Kiritsugu's bullet to fly through open air.

Sora took a deep breath. _Guess we're not going for friendly negotiations, then._ He activated his magic and sent it out full force.

The Servant's signature appeared, hemming the edge of the stairs.

Sora muttered, "Reflect," touched the device, and said, "They're going along the edge of the steps." A barrier materialized in front of him.

A figured materialized briefly, falling, and shot several arrows, then dematerialized again, so quickly Sora hardly saw him.

Kiritsugu's bullet flew through where the Servant had once been.

Several arrows collided with Sora's Reflect and bounced harmlessly away.

Sora stiffened, losing his grip on his heart magic. _That looked like—_ He stood, dispelled Reflect, and shouted, "Blizzaga!" He fired the spell along the trees and steps where he'd seen the Servant falling, freezing them. Then he moved, Kingdom Key clutched tightly, and weaved between the trees. He whipped around, transforming his Keyblade, and firing at several branches, making them crash.

The figure appeared and jumped.

Sora activated a shot lock.

The red-clad figure appeared, haloed in moonlight.

The shot lock's invincibility activated. He targeted his opponent.

Several arrows passed harmlessly by.

Sora focused with shaking hands. Pulses of light fled from his Keyblade in a rainbow array, aimed towards the Servant.

He landed and changed direction, firing several more arrows that collided with Sora's streaks of light. The world exploded with light.

Sora skidded backwards. He shook and braced a hand to his head. _You._ His fingers curled into the earth and he glared at the world beneath his feet. He hitched a breath.

Kiritsugu's voice rang in his ear: _"Can you distract him?"_

He nodded, hoping Kiritsugu saw as his shot lock fell. "Tornado!" Winds raged around him. He hoped it would act as a shield and momentary distraction. He leapt backwards, free of the winds, and disappeared into the trees.

The Servant returned to his post atop the temple gate, bow in hand.

Sora quickly activated his shot lock again, shouting, "Take cover!"

The crackling arrow fired.

Sora jumped, using magic to propel himself higher, above the trees, the invincibility activating with quiet clicks. The arrow exploded beneath; the shockwave from the explosion forced him higher, off-target, though his shot lock prevented damage. He managed to focus on his opponent long enough to fire a brief pulse, then twisted, scanning the debris and trying to shout, "Kiritsugu!" over the wind.

He lost his shot lock the moment the Servant appeared above him.

Molten steel eyes met sky blue, and for a moment Sora stared at the man his apprentice might have become. _Did become._

Then he moved, kicking, and Sora gasped, unable to block quickly enough. He flew towards the temple steps and collided with the rubble. Pain swept through his back. _Get up._

The Servant had already landed and swept towards him.

Sora instinctively brought the Kingdom Key up to block, already drawing on magic. He parried one strike, but failed to block the next, his opponent's weapon cutting his side. "Tornado!" The winds whirled, and he used them to propel himself backwards. He glanced aside. _The lower parts of the stairs are still undamaged._

The Servant raced after him, swords flying.

"Fire!" He lit the trees near his opponent on fire and dodge into them, transforming his Keyblade and firing some shots for good measure.

The man fired some arrows in response.

"Reflect!"

One arrow made it through; the other bounced off his magic.

Sora winced, growling "Cura" while continuing to backpedal.

His opponent charged; their blades clanged once, twice, Sora's in quick, precise motions while he moved to protect his heart, his side, his neck and head. His opponent's blades blurred and spun, just as precise, and occasionally slipped through his guard, striking his shoulder and grazing his side.

Sora took a deep breath. _Just hold out a little more._ He kicked backwards, catching a blow meant for his neck.

One of the swords struck and cut, deeply, across his shoulder and chest.

Sora gasped. His ears rang. He focused on the molten, intense eyes.

His heel touched ice.

He swung, pressing forward momentarily, then flinging himself sideways to strike.

The Servant moved to attack from the side and his toe hit ice. He slipped.

Kiritsugu appeared behind him almost instantly. Three devices hovered in the air. He activated them with a click.

Purple-pink energy crackled between the floating devices. It crashed around the Servant. Space froze.

The white-haired man stilled.

Sora knelt and gasped, applying Curaga twice, hoping to stem the worst of the injuries.

The Servant tried to move, then snorted, a wry smile curling his lips. His fingers twitched.

Sora jolted.

Kiritsugu moved towards them. "Now," he said, and the man jolted.

Sora stared. As Kiritsugu moved to the front, he watched as this man—this not-Shirou—ignored and regarded him with little interest, and instead focused with increasing recognition and surprise on the black-haired man who stopped before them.

Kiritsugu met the Servant's wide eyes. "We're going to talk."

* * *

 _And that's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _Well that was easy._ – This one, not so much.

 **RedRat8:** _Boy, Saber is a risk taker and Lancer is doing something expected of him. Still quite worried about Sakura and Kirei's unknown status makes me nervous as well as the fact that Gilgamesh is not around for the most part._ – I guess we're probably adding another thing to your concern list…

 **ultima-owner:** _She won't like what she finds._ – No, probably not.

 **Galer:** _welp at least for kiritsugus grout is goint smoothly... is goin to get dificull dow the road right? (sorry for the poor grammar)._ – I think we got to the more difficult part. (And your fine! I appreciate the review regardless.)

 **SonicFan12:** _In regards to my last review they would want to burn the Matou house down wouidn't they?_ – Oh, yeah, definitely. Those bugs need to go.

 **Artsofdesire1:** _Why can't Shirou use magic. In Canon. He wasn't able to use magic properly due to lack of training and being unprepared._ – Actually, while what you say is true, one of the other reasons he couldn't use mainstream mage craft was because his element and origin were both "sword," effectively relegating him to very specialized mage craft. Here he's basically in the same boat, with his element and origin being "heart," and mage craft extending to the magic of the multi-verse, as well.

 _Let me know what you thought of the chapter and, once again, enjoy your holidays!_


	56. Reunion

_Here's chapter fifty – six! Thank you Aburg76, DPSS, RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, and BukkakeNoJutsu for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Six: Reunion**

The Servant's wide eyes didn't flicker from Kiritsugu, nor did he make any comment on the man's statement.

Sora swallowed and activated his heart magic. _If—if he's the same version, then maybe I—_

Similar to Saber and Lancer, his magic could sense a heart, but not read it. However, something familiar lurked beneath, and he almost thought he could find cracks in the armor. The heart, though hidden and a different version of his apprentice, was _familiar_.

Sora cut the connection, not sure he wanted to know what this other Shirou felt about Kiritsugu or himself.

Kiritsugu began, "Where is your Master?"

"Hmmph." The Servant's expression shifted, turning impassive. "I wouldn't just give information like that away." His eyes still searched Kiritsugu's face, almost concerned, almost pleading.

Sora started, "You can—?"

The Servant's eyes shifted towards him, and Sora, despite himself, started at the wary unrecognition. This man was assessing and observing him, trying to place where Sora fit. Not that he could blame him, in his heart of hearts; this Shirou still belonged to the world, and would have no way of recognizing the Keyblader.

Kiritsugu said, "We have information we need to discuss with them, as well as with Caster and her Master."

"I'm here. If you're truly interested in passing along information, you can relay it to me. Or perhaps you'd prefer to storm the temple, and deal with whatever traps lay for you there." He smirked.

Sora narrowed his eyes.

Kiritsugu didn't respond immediately. He glanced towards Sora.

Sora nodded.

Kiritsugu turned back to the Servant. "Very well. You are Servant Archer, I assume?"

"Yes." The smirk remained, but his eyes didn't match.

 _They remind me of a child,_ Sora realized.

"We have information about the Grail. It's tainted. It will grant no wish—or at least, not in a way that's beneficial. Whatever your Master wants will be twisted, and granted in the worst way possible."

The man watched them, expression impassive, and Sora expected surprise, or denial. Instead, "I already know."

Both parties started. "Then," Kiritsugu said, "I assume you'll help us in stalling the war?"

The archer eyed him carefully and answered only after a long paused. "You intend to talk to all participants, do you? Convince them of your cause?"

"That's the initial plan. I have no doubt it will fall through with some parties, but those who can be convinced without brute force will be."

"I suppose there are some who would jump at your cause. Unfortunately, I am not one of them."

"What?" Sora yelped, studying him anew. "But—" He hesitated, and cast a look towards Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu didn't seem surprised, and instead continued, "We might be able to make it worth your Master's while."

"Unfortunately, my Master has no interest in meeting with you. She's convinced this is a trap, you see, and doesn't care if all the Grail brings is destruction. As for myself," he paused, "I have no interest in the Grail, or this War. All of you can do what you want—unless ordered, I won't interfere. But my Master—well. She's a different story." That wry grin twisted his lips again.

 _No wish? Then why are you here?_ "Kiritsugu. Can I speak to—to Archer alone?"

"If you want."

"Thanks."

Kiritsugu hesitated, then passed, whispering, "The mage craft in those won't last forever. They'll weaken soon. Be quick."

Sora nodded. He waited until Kiritsugu left, then stepped directly in front of Archer.

"You're a very interesting mage. Able to pinpoint spiritual entities? I'm sure that's useful. Did you want to gloat?" His gaze lacked the searching expression, instead filtered with cold interest.

 _He's trying to throw me off._ That, at least, he recognized—while _his_ Shirou would sometimes say strange things to see how people's hearts reacted, however, this one relied on outward expressions. Sora took a deep breath and met his gaze. "How do you know Kiritsugu, Shirou?"

The man's eyes snapped wide. "What—?"

"I have a theory—he pulled you from the fire, didn't he? In your reality. He was—he was your father, wasn't he? You were looking at him like you expected he would recognize you, and were disappointed when he didn't." _I know the feeling._ "That would also explain how you already know about the Grail being corrupted. What I don't get is why—"

" _Stop_." The Servant's voice hardly lifted, but it came out firm, cold, as sharp as steel. Shirou— _Archer_ , Sora told himself firmly, repeating the word several times in his mind—observed him with new eyes. "Who are you?"

"Not someone you'd know. My name's Sora."

"How do you know that name?"

That _name,_ Sora noted, _not_ my _name._ "Because I know you. Or, I know a version of you. Do you remember me? At all?"

Archer furrowed an eyebrow and shook his head.

"You don't remember any fighting? Nothing?"

Archer narrowed his eyes, his expression turning pensive.

Sora waited a few moments, giving the Servant time to consider the question. "Just—just one more question, alright?"

"You're assuming I'm in any position to argue."

Sora flashed a small smile that quickly faded. "Do you—do you have any connection with this world's heart?"

Archer's expression briefly flashed to surprised again, then into a more bitter expression. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"I didn't mean—"

"Tell me, are you going to reveal all my secrets? Perhaps to your companion? I'm sure he'd be happy to learn his son followed the same path." His eyes shifted sideways, and Sora knew that, had he been able to move, he would've looked away.

Sora took a deep breath. "So you _do_ know her. And it's not a pleasant relationship."

Archer didn't speak.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't have a very good relationship with her, either."

Archer's eyes flicked back to him.

"That's why I asked if you remembered me. We've met once before. Not an alternate version. The world sent you to fight me. You weren't exactly conscious for most of the fight, but towards the end, you woke up briefly."

Archer made a quiet, surprised noise, but otherwise didn't react.

"I want to know how this happened, and why, but I won't ask. It's—I know _my_ Shirou, but it's not my place to ask _you_ , right? You're not the same now, even if you once shared a past. But," he paused, his voice taking on a darker, more dangerous tone, "I do need to know this world's name."

Archer studied him. "And tell me, what do you plan to do with that knowledge?"

"I need to have a chat with her."

Archer lifted an eyebrow. He glanced aside. For several long moments he seemed to ponder the decision, then sighed. "Fine. It's not my business if you get yourself killed, and she can't do much more to me. This world has two forces. The one you're probably looking for is named 'Alaya.'"

 _Two?_ Sora nodded tightly. "Thanks." He started to move. "I hope you change your mind."

"Well, who knows? This War has already taken many interesting twists." He turned and, as if trying to get a parting shot, added, "If you can fight me under _her_ control, maybe I shouldn't hold anything back the next time we meet."

Sora snorted. There still wasn't warmth in that gaze—just wariness, and a mind reeling with questions that hoped to find solitude and puzzle them out on his own. The Servant wouldn't bother them any more tonight. "Thanks for sticking around after the magic faded." He turned and quickly walked away, wondering if Archer's expression was surprised again, or if he'd simply had too many revelations to be bother anymore.

Kiritsugu stepped from the trees. "Well?"

Sora turned and forced a smile. "Couldn't get much out of him. There _is_ something I'll have to talk about with you later, though. Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Kiritsugu raised a surprised eyebrow.

Sora fixed him with an expression he didn't think hid his anger very well. "There's an old acquaintance I need to talk to."

"I see." Kiritsugu turned. "Be careful."

"Right."

Kiritsugu left.

Sora waited until the man was long out of sight. Then he veered into the woods. Moonlight flashed between the trees. Sora stopped just outside a patch of light and knelt. He activated his magic, sending it thrumming through the earth, passing the small hearts the flickered beneath towards the giant, pulsing heart far beneath. _Speak to me, Alaya. I know you can hear me._

The full force of his magic slammed against the world's heart.

For a moment, he believed she wouldn't respond. Then a hissing, echoing, powerful female voice answered, _Are you so arrogant as to believe you can brute-force your way through my defenses?_

 _What are you playing at?_

 _I am not_ playing _at anything, Keybearer._

 _Then why is_ he _here? I thought it was strange when you hadn't acted against us, but_ this _is the reason?_

 _Do not patronize me. EMIYA has a vested interest in each Grail War where his younger self appears. Allowing him entry is very little cost to me. Unfortunately, because of your interference, he had to take other methods to be summoned._

The name 'Emiya' repeated through Sora's mind. _So Kiritsugu did adopt him,_ he thought, more to himself than anything.

 _As he should have. There are some memories where someone else finds the boy—but never one where a Keybearer takes him. It is unnatural._

 _It was an accident._

 _And my Guardian is here to fix it._

Your _Guardian? Do you—do you have any idea how he feels about you? Obviously he doesn't_ like _you._

 _I never lied to him. He made a bargain with me, but I laid all the chips on the table to start._

Sora's fingers curled into the earth. _You're no better than the Puppet Master. Instead of memories, you play with the real people._

 _I do what is necessary for humanity to survive._

 _And that justifies this?_

Anger, tightly suppressed, bubbled beneath the world's heart. _Consider this, Keybearer: even if all your kind were inclined towards light, they are still mortal, aren't they?_

 _Yes._

 _That means that, regardless of how many there are, they cannot protect all worlds at once. Sometimes in the face of greater darkness, they must sacrifice smaller worlds and instead focus on larger. Those small worlds are left to die._

Sora tensed.

 _I follow the same principle—and because I cannot count on your ilk, I have taken matters into my own hands. How dare you—a mortal, not yet even half a century old—lecture me, a world who witnessed the birth of the Keyblade and the destruction it wrought? What do you even know about that weapon you wield?_

Sora scrunched his eyes closed tighter. _I won't let you hurt Shirou._

 _I wasn't giving you an option._

 _I'll fight you._

 _How does one human expect to take on a world?_ The connection to the world's heart began to fade.

Sora screamed and slammed a fist into the ground.

The world offered some final whispered words—or, perhaps, they were Sora's own, masked in the voice of an enemy he could comprehend: _Childish tantrums will get you nowhere. You still have a long way to go._

* * *

 _And that's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Thanks for the update merry Christmas, nice fight scene by the way._ – Thanks!

 **DPSS:** _You know, as great a fighter and assassin as Sora and Kiritsugu respectively are, I can't help but be annoyed they took down a Servant. Well, unless Archer was going easy on them of course._ – He was; I actually had him commenting on it in an earlier version of the chapter before just deciding to leave him silent for a while. He's not a particular fan of Caster as his Master and doesn't like being stuck at the temple, but can't risk acting to openly against her yet, so he figured going easy on these two would likely be his best option at the moment.

 **RedRat8:** _Oh dear, it seems instead of Assassin, Caster summoned Archer instead. Wonder how this is going to complicate things in the future._ – In several ways—but probably mostly for Archer.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Poor poor EMIYA is going to be so confused as to why Kiritsugu is alive and who the hell is Sora! In fact he's probably confused about this war as a whole, since none of the events that should have taken place happened thanks to Sora absconding with Shirou years ago!_ – He is _incredibly_ confused right now, and needs some time to hide and try to figure out what the heck's going on. Sora might've been trying to fill him in a little, but he actually only confused him more.

 **ultima-owner:** _Something is gonna happen with the lake. Something really bad._ – Well, I mean…it _is_ where the Holy Grail was summoned at one point.

 **BukkakeNoJutsu:** _Please save Sakura._ – Well, that _is_ in the agenda. Hopefully things'll go well.

 _If you have any thoughts or comments on the chapter, drop them here and let me know!_


	57. Thoughts

_Here's chapter fifty – seven! Thank you Aburg76, Parks98, RedRat8, Cosmos0Atlas1, ultima-owner, and phuxeds for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Seven: Thoughts**

Emi stood awkwardly in the back of the classroom.

Melody and Rai sat before Aqua—Melody propping her chin, looking bored, while Rai focused on Aqua despite his glassy gaze.

Emi's gaze slid to the empty seat. Shirou, she knew, would've probably been more engrossed in this than the rest of them. She wondered how his mission was going.

She shifted and suppressed a sigh. _Aqua, hurry up, please._

Aqua continued, "Keeping the existence of other worlds was originally not just to help avoid spreading panic, but to keep a good relationship with the world. With the recent Heartless invasion and Second Keyblade War, however, some of these old traditions have been broken and are slowly being replaced by new. Inter-world trade routes are a work in progress, spearheaded by Kairi and Radiant Garden. While many worlds are still in the dark, others, who were more influenced by the Heartless, have quickly adapted to the idea. We still have to tread carefully, however. Worlds can be fickle, and anything that puts their population in danger can potentially make them reject a Keyblade wielder."

Melody asked, voice dull, "Can't we just have Sora speak to them? I mean, when he's around." An accusing note entered her voice.

Emi bit back another sigh.

Aqua's gaze narrowed. "Even Sora can make a world angry. Sometimes being able to communicate with worlds causes more harm than good."

Melody muttered, "Why go over this now, anyways? It's not like this is a big deal."

"Because," Aqua said, startling the apprentice, "it's an important thing to remember once you become Masters. A Keyblade wielder is not only meant to _protect_ the worlds, but to be in synch with them."

Melody leaned away.

Rai asked, "Shouldn't we learn _all_ the ways to avoid making a world mad, then? How does one even _do_ that?"

Aqua fixed him with a steely gaze for a few moments, then relented and sighed. "It's normally difficult to anger a world. Most are focused on continued existence. This means that anything that puts that in jeopardy can upset them."

"Heartless," Emi said, shuddering.

Aqua flicked her gaze. "Corruption. But, in theory, yes. Because Keyblade wielders often attract dark forces to them, they constantly have to prove their value—which is why being in synch with a world is so important.

"Corruption, to a world, is anything that eats away at the stability of its heart. Heartless are the most notable example in recent times, but for years they rarely appeared. Heartless, as I'm sure you're well aware, can eat a world's heart as easily as a person's. They were sealed in the Realm of Darkness hundreds of years ago by a group of Keyblade Wielders, and while that unfortunately doomed many of those worlds, it allowed the rest of the universe to remain in relative peace for centuries."

Aqua paused. "Other than that," she continued slowly, "the biggest threats to the worlds are those who can connect directly to their hearts."

Melody and Rai suddenly sat straighter.

Emi's eyes widened slightly.

Aqua gave a sad smile. "Seems strange, doesn't it? In order for someone to connect to a world's heart, they must first earn its trust. From there, they can communicate with the world, of course, but they can also subtly influence it, introducing darkness or light where there wasn't before. It's what made Xehanort and the Puppet Master so dangerous."

Melody said, "Wait. _Xehanort_ earned the trust of the worlds' hearts? You know, that creepy evil guy you guys keep warning against?"

Aqua's shoulders sank, as if suddenly carrying a great burden. "If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that things are rarely as black and white as we want them to be. Xehanort became a monster and betrayed the worlds, but he wasn't always that way. His younger self had some radical ideas, but he wasn't evil, and originally had the best intentions of the worlds at heart."

Emi stared.

"It's why Xehanort need a younger version of himself to achieve his plans—to collect memories of himself from other worlds."

"Memories?" Melody repeated.

"Some would call them 'timelines.' Each world has one true path—the path taken—and then, in its heart, holds countless others—all that have happened, could have happened, or might happen. Only someone who can communicate with the worlds can truly communicate with these memories, and can also, unfortunately, remove them from their world of origin. That's how Xehanort amassed so many copies of himself—and likely how he lost the worlds' trust. They believed in his good intentions, and he stabbed them in the back by stealing something precious and, through that, tainting their hearts."

Emi furrowed her eyebrows—Aqua seemed strangely sad, as if she almost felt pity for the young Keyblade wielder who likely hadn't had any idea of what he'd gotten himself into at the time. "Could," Emi began, despite herself, then hesitated and looked uncertainly towards Rai and Melody.

Aqua sighed and gave a tired smile. "Go ahead—I don't think we're getting much more done today."

Emi nodded, though she silently admitted that didn't allay her concerns. "Could memories be used for good purposes? Instead of corrupting, could they purify a world instead?"

Aqua raised an eyebrow, then cupped her chin. "I'm not sure. It's never really been looked into."

Emi nodded, feeling slightly foolish.

"Anyway, that's enough for today. Lea's probably looking for you two."

Melody stood and scampered away.

Rai followed more slowly, an exasperated expression crossing his features.

"Now," Aqua said, startling Emi, "I know you didn't sit in on this just to enjoy a lesson. What were you looking for?"

Emi shifted. "I, um." She wrung her hands. "I just—wondered if you had any assignments for me."

Aqua gave her a funny look. "You already know you're going to help Kairi with negotiations in a few days."

Emi nodded.

Aqua eyed her a few moments, then sighed. "If that's all—"

"Wait!"

Aqua stopped.

Emi hesitated, then pressed, "It's, it's actually about Sora. And Shirou."

Aqua stiffened.

 _I was right. Something_ is _wrong._ "Where are they, really?"

"Sora already told you he was going on a solo mission."

"But you don't like it."

Aqua shot her a sharp look. "Are you sure _you_ haven't been practicing with heart magic?"

"I've spent a lot of time around Shirou. You pick up some things."

The two remained in a stand-off a few moments longer. Aqua finally relented. "Sora's gone to Shirou's home world. He believes that the one who's causing the Heartless to act up is there, something supported by his meeting with the Puppet Master."

Emi's eyes widened. "And Shirou?"

"As far as I know, still exploring the other world. I haven't received a report from him yet, which is somewhat concerning, but not something I'm going to stress over just yet."

Emi nodded, thought she wasn't sure she felt the same.

Aqua turned. "If there's anything else you need, I'll be in my office. Doing paperwork." She grimaced.

Emi smiled, but the expression didn't reach her eyes.

 **-Archer** sat on the temple rooftop. A few people wandered below, but none glanced up. Not that he was particularly concerned.

While Caster had reacted as he'd expected to his news— _"They're just trying to keep the Grail for themselves"_ —she, thankfully, hadn't been suspicious of his actions. It left him with more leeway, and more time to think.

Kiritsugu was alive. His mind reeled with how that was possible. The most likely explanation was that he hadn't touched the Grail's curse at all. _But does that mean he refused to go looking for survivors? Did he not get there in time, or was eliminated early and survived?_ He was relatively certain Kiritsugu had still been a Master; he wasn't sure how his father would've gotten the information on the Grail, otherwise.

If Kiritsugu hadn't been at the fire sight, then that also meant he hadn't saved this timeline's Shirou.

Then there was that man—the one who'd recognized him, but who he hadn't known, before the hero Archer had once known as his father. _Sora._

He'd never seen him in any other Grail Wars, though if he strained his memory, he thought he might have a glimpse of that fight the stranger mentioned. Or perhaps that was simply his mind playing tricks on him.

Most likely, that was the man who'd taken him in. Archer imagined Sora hadn't actually stepped foot in the fire, and had later adopted his younger self—somehow. Perhaps he'd managed to catch the younger Shirou before Kirei.

But Sora also had some connection to the world, and he wouldn't rule out that this relation could somehow be in Alaya's plans.

Archer squeezed his eyes shut and braced his head with a hand. _And I can't do much of anything stuck here._

He traced Rule Breaker and twirled it idly. _I need to keep focused. Once I find an opportunity, I need to act. With any luck, my younger self will still be at the Emiya residence._

A part of him suspected that killing him had very little chance of succeeding—but, then again, it had always been a slim hope.

 **-Kirei** didn't quite dare wander the streets.

In the ten years he'd spent hiding, he'd learned that caution, more than ever, was the only friend he had. Gilgamesh, while willing to entertain him on occasion, hadn't particularly enjoyed being in hiding. Unlike Kirei, he hadn't fled upon news of their impending arrest—and trying to handcuff him had resulted in the unsuspecting officer _losing_ a hand.

Gilgamesh, for his part, had stayed in and around Fuyuki. Kirei had taken further, originally sulking around the fringes, then gradually going further, searching out more about the Holy Grail and Angra Mainyu. He'd heard snippets of events—the Einzberns falling under a new family head, unrest in the Mage's Association—but it wasn't until he'd learned the Holy Grail War was starting again that he'd finally returned.

Even now, he knew he couldn't truly show his face. The thought bothered him less than it should have.

His eyes strayed to a black-haired man, wandering through the marketplace with a young white-haired girl.

 _So you did survive. And here I'd believed you were broken. Did your daughter bring you back, Kiritsugu? Did saving one life really mean so much to you?_

His thoughts strayed to Caren, and how she hadn't been able to produce so much as a spark of joy.

He pushed them aside and tracked Kiritsugu. _Regardless, whatever our past battles might have been, I'm not here for you. My only purpose is to make sure that the Holy Grail is summoned._

 _But that's right—last I'd heard, you were trying to stop the War altogether._

 _Well, I suppose it's a good thing there's a man I'm not particularly fond of with an extra Grail._

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Aburg76:** _Well that tlak with Archer was rather nice, interesting twist with Alaya there at the end. But seriously you are making Alaya evil. Though makes me wonder why she hasn't sent in the Type ALAYA at this point to stop him._ – Hmm. _Is_ she evil, though? I'll just say that for now.

 **Parks98:** _Well shit now we have to deal with Archer who won't really fuck around since it seems that while wanting to win during canon his main goal was seeing if Emiya shirou was going to go on his path then kill him. In this Shirou is well lets first see how Archer reacts to the fact that Shirou is now a dimensional traveler who saves WORLDS._ – While I did address some of Archer's thoughts on the matter this chapter…I'm really looking forward to when they meet. It's going to be…interesting, to say the least. _Oh crap Alaya does not know who she's messing with._ – Indeed. Should be fun.

 **RedRat8:** _Sora, you be mad to go against the Survival Instincts of Humanity, but your insanity is part of who you are._ – Haha, no one messes with his apprentice/adopted child.

 **Cosmos0Atlas1:** _Okay Sora is being seriously downplayed here. Sora has fought several kinds of beasts and monsters. Fought and defeated the likes of Xemnas and Xehanort. He has strength, speed and reflexes to fight Saber to a standstill. To say he struggles to beat Archer while he is holding back is ridiculous. … I know power levels are hard to measure and all that but this is like having Berserker lose to Assassin in close combat fight._ – While I feel like using Berserker and Assassin for the example is a stretch, I do understand your point. Just to make sure I get this out there, I do understand that Sora has incredibly potent abilities, especially when including reaction commands. However, I have stated before that I consider Servants to have above human-level skill (under general circumstances; different humans could beat different Servants given certain combat situations), but, putting that aside, there are two other factors figuring into this. 1: Archer got a natural boost from having Caster as his Master this War, curtesy of Alaya. 2: Niether Sora nor Kiritsugu truly went into this intended to _defeat_ a Servant and, while they knew they might have to fight them, they hoped to avoid it. Moreover, Sora, not knowing the identity of this Servant at first, was similarly trying to gauge Archer's abilities—and, later, was none-too-thrilled about the circumstances. Just for future reference in case this comes up again: At base physical ability, Archer is faster and stronger than Sora. Sora, however, has greater versatility in his magic and that, combined with his melee abilities, could allow him to hold his own against some Servants. …I feel like I'm rambling now, so I hope that made some sort of sense?

 **ultima-owner:** _Alaya is prick. What would happen if the heartless were to get their claws on the grail?_ – Perhaps _they_ aren't the things she needs to worry about.

 **phuxeds:** _This was a rather dark direction to take Sora in this chapter._ – He's having a rough time of things.

 _A lot of info dumping and set-up this chapter, but we'll be jumping back into things next. Let me know your thoughts!_


	58. Inner Conflict

_Here's chapter fifty – eight! Thank you RedRat8, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, ultima-owner, and TalesofDark0 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Eight: Inner Conflict**

Shirou silently cooked. No one was up yet, but that was fine with him; it gave him time to think.

 _Well,_ he thought, scraping some egg, _mostly fine._

Sora had been acting strange when he'd returned the night before; checking his heart had confirmed that turmoil raged inside. Shirou tried to ask about it, but Sora had offered a smile and brushed him off, walls rising around his heart.

Saber and Rin had spent the night—it'd been too late for them to go over what they'd learned, they decided, and, with a quick call to Rin's guardians later, they'd set up in a spare room.

Shirou sighed, turning off the oven. _You can't trust me, either?_

"Smells good," Illya said.

Shirou jumped. "I didn't hear you get up."

She shrugged. "You weren't paying attention." She offered him a plate.

He snorted and turned. "Wait for the others."

Illya pouted, but complied, slumping at the table.

Shirou had finished breakfast and set the table—Kiritsugu appeared sometime in the interim and helped him finish—before Saber and Rin entered.

"Morning," Kiritsugu said.

Saber nodded, watching him warily.

Rin mumbled something and rubbed her eyes.

Shirou shifted uncomfortably and sat. "You look tired."

Rin muttered something again and began piling food on her plate, eyes half-lidded.

Saber explained, "I woke her, hoping to get an early start. I hadn't realized my Master took so poorly to mornings."

Rin muttered, "Coffee."

Shirou rubbed his neck. "Where are Sora and Rider?"

Kiritsugu closed his eyes briefly. "Rider's lounging in the living room. I'll call him."

Shirou half-stood, eyeing the still-tense Saber warily. "Maybe I should go—"

"I'm up." Sora entered, rubbing his eyes and blinking. He looked towards Shirou and offered a smile. "This your work? How early did you get up."

"Not _that_ early." Shirou sank. "You just sleep in."

"Hey, we can't _all_ be morning people." But dark bags hung beneath his eyes. "Why's everyone waiting? Saber, you ever tried Shirou's food? He learned from a great chef." Sora winked.

Shirou snorted, wondering what the others might think if they learned of Remy.

Saber responded, "As a Servant, I don't need to eat."

"But you _can_ , right?"

"I suppose."

"Then go ahead. It's not going to hurt you."

Saber met his gaze a few moments, then complied, taking a portion. She blinked. "It's good."

"See?" He smiled and cast a side-long glance towards Kiritsugu.

The man eased.

Rider asked, _"Hey, what about me?"_ He materialized. "Can I join?"

"Of course."

Rider grinned and sat.

Shirou relaxed a little. He watched his master, though, and tapped into his magic.

The walls remained around Sora's heart.

Sora, despite the guards, chatted amicably throughout breakfast, asking Illya about school—who was more than happy to acquiesce—and occasionally prodding Rin for input. He told one particularly embarrassing story about a training incident—specifically one where Shirou, attempting to learn Purge on his own, had tried, rather poorly, to convince a hermit mage to give him pointers, something that quickly devolved into stranger and stranger territory.

Shirou covered his face, but laughed.

Saber relaxed more, and the two began to talk about sword technique, comparing and contrasting, until breakfast was finished and the dishes cleared.

"So," Kiritsugu began, "let's start."

The mood sobered.

Rider sighed. "It didn't go so well on our end. We weren't attacked, but the acting Master didn't seem very interested, and the real Master believes we have no chance, so why bother?"

Rin said, "So there's a proxy, like Shirou."

"Yeah. I wouldn't count the real Master, Sakura Matou, as an enemy, but at the same time, she's not going to do anything to interfere. I'm not sure who the Servant shows more loyalty to."

Shirou added, "Sakura mentioned her grandfather a few times."

"Zouken Matou," Kiritsugu offered. "Current patriarch of the Matou family."

"And," Rin added, "aside from Sakura, the only family member who can still use magic."

Kiritsugu continued, "We never reached Caster. We were attacked by Archer at the temple stairs, and warned not to go further. Sora spoke with him after, but as far as I know, no identity or Master was confirmed. The only thing certain is that Caster and Archer's Masters seem to be working together." He glanced towards Sora.

The Keyblader started, then said, "I didn't learn anything that'd help us. Sorry." He glanced away, eyes distant.

The group absorbed the information. Rin broke the silence. "We had slightly more success. Bazett and Lancer agreed to the ceasefire on two conditions. One, that I tell her everything I know about Kirei Kotomine and get her access to the church."

The name made Shirou's hair stand on end. His fingers curled into his pants.

Sora shot Rin a sharp look, eyes narrowed in thought.

"I plan to speak to the new overseer later today, so hopefully we can get that part cleared up." She rubbed her temples.

Kiritsugu asked, "And the other?"

"Saber and Lancer are going to fight in Fuyuki Park two nights from now."

Sora and Rider yelped almost simultaneously, "What?"

Illya made a disapproving, distressed noise.

Shirou turned wide eyes towards the Servant, who remained rigid.

The only one who didn't visibly react was Kiritsugu. He sat a little straighter, slowly, and fixed Rin with a calm look. "Was this suggested by Bazett?"

"No," Saber said. "The suggestion was mine." She fixed Kiritsugu with a serious, challenging look.

A sad expression tugged Kiritsugu's eyes and mouth. "What was the goal?"

"Lancer desired a fight. I offered it in the hopes it would appease the other half of the pair."

"You plan to avoid killing him?"

"If possible. I will not stay my blade, but I'd prefer not to worsen the problem, if possible."

Kiritsugu held her tense gaze a few moments longer. Finally he turned away with a sigh. "I won't argue with you. It might be the most efficient plan. If nothing else, we'll gain knowledge on how he fights."

"Master," Rider protested, "you can't seriously agree with her."

Shirou tapped into his magic and touched Kiritsugu's heart. Regret and resignation swirled. _He wants to make things up to her._

"Rin," Rider continued, "you're her Master. Can't you—"

"Dinadan," Saber interrupted, "I am right here. If you have problems, you can address them to me."

Rider hesitated. Then he shook his head and pressed, "The point was to _avoid_ fighting. I'm sure there's a way to talk him down. You don't need to fight just to appease some Servant's bloodlust."

"The offer is made. Please, if you believe yourself equipped, go speak to Lancer yourself."

Rider didn't answer for several moments. "Are you just using this as an excuse to escape this War?"

Saber flashed him a surprised, angry look.

Rider gritted his teeth and met her stare. Then he relented, looking away. "I'm sorry, my king, that was out of line." He bowed stiffly and dissipated.

Silence reigned. Illya said, "I agree. What happens if you can't avoid killing each other?"

"Then we will face the consequences. Right now we must act decisively."

Kiritsugu gave Saber a tired look. He stood. "I have my own preparations to make. Illya—"

"I know. I'll behave."

Kiritsugu smiled and left.

Sora stood a moment later. "I've—I've got some things to do."

Shirou started to stand. "Wait—"

Sora stopped and fixed him with a sad, uncertain look. "How about we train later? I just have some things to sort out."

Shirou hesitated, words from years ago echoing through his head, and he activated his heart magic, hoping to project that he didn't have to pull away.

The walls rebuffed him, and Sora gave a tiny shake of his head. "I'll see you later." He left.

Shirou sank, magic cut abruptly.

Rin sighed. "Saber and I should get ready to go. We also have a fight to prepare for." She massaged her temples.

Shirou said, "We never talked about what to do with the others."

"That's because, for the moment, there's not much we _can_ do. If we can get Bazett and Lancer as allies, and get the official cease-fire, then things might go more smoothly."

Shirou nodded slowly, but his mind gravitated back to the strange vision he'd seen in Sakura's house. With his concerns about Sora, he'd almost forgotten. "I'm going to try talking to Sakura again."

"Eh?"

"There's something strange going on there. I think we should try to get to the bottom of it. Besides, like Rider said, she's not necessarily an _enemy_ —maybe we could win her over."

Rin stared. "I—fine. If that's what you want." She stood abruptly and left.

Saber blinked, then stood and followed.

Shirou frowned. _If only her heart was easier to read. Actually, come to think of it, hers is a little like Sakura's._

While he sat mulling things over, Illya asked, "So, when are we going?"

"Probably—wait, 'we'?"

 **-Sora,** despite what he'd said, found himself sitting on the porch, Keyblade across his lap. He'd _intended_ to go to the Gummi ship and try Aqua to give her an update—and at least let her know Shirou wasn't where he was supposed to be—but he hesitated at what her reaction might be.

He felt tired.

He rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath, and released a quiet laugh. "I'm an idiot."

 _"Well,"_ Rider's voice interjected, _"that means we have two on the team."_ He materialized. "Hope we don't ferret out any more."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Probably the same as you—needed to get away from everything. Mind if I sit?"

Sora shook his head.

Rider sank. He snorted, a wry smile twisting his lips. "Man. This War's just started, and it's already more trouble than it's worth."

"Yeah." Sora's hands wrapped his Keyblade tightly.

"Heh. Good kid you have, though. Little too serious sometimes, but there's nothing wrong with that. Reminds me of Arthur, back when he—er, 'she,' I guess—first took over."

"Wait, wasn't Saber a _king_?"

"Yeah. That didn't stop us knights from embarrassing her, though. Her brother wasn't happy—'Only I can embarrass her,' and all that—but, well, we were brothers in arms. We figured if we were brothers in name, that meant we could mess with her. Managed to get her drunk one night and coerced her into singing. Sir Ector almost had our heads."

Sora snorted.

Rider leaned lower. "But, despite everything, we all looked up to her. That's why, when things started falling apart, some of us might have wished to go back to the way things were—just a group of brothers messing around and helping people, you know?" He released a heavy sigh. "But it's not like that helps anything. Things change. You've just got to move forward."

Sora made a sound of acknowledgement. "She's not pushing you away because she doesn't care, you know."

"Oh?"

"Heh. I may have done something similar before." He scratched his cheek. "She's scared and hurt. If what you guys say is true, then she's probably worried about hurting you again. She's keeping her distance because she thinks it'll protect herself and everyone else."

"Huh. Well, that's a load of crap."

"Maybe. But you can't force her to change her mind. Just," he paused, took a deep breath, and released it again, "just make sure to be there."

"Well, that was a given. It's still frustrating."

Sora nodded and turned the Kingdom Key. His hands shook and he dismissed the weapon.

"So, what's got you stressed? You listened to my nonsense."

"It's a little harder to explain." He smiled wryly, then looked away. "But let's say you challenged an enemy you have no real way to beat. Problem is, you can't back down, because something really important will be lost if you do. How do you tackle that?"

"Hmm. That's a good question. I'd suggest talking them down, first, and if that doesn't work, then you just have to decide how important that thing really is."

Sora nodded, but didn't respond, instead mulling the words over and wracking his mind for _anything_ he'd learned to help him.

A thought—horrible and terrifying though it was—entered his mind.

 _The Puppet Master set something free here. If I can find whatever—_ who _ever—it is, then maybe I can find my answer._

* * *

… _Okay. So maybe there wasn't so much action and more setup. Hopefully it was interesting setup? …Anywho, review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Poor Archer, being made the bitch all the time in the story, and this time he's Caster's bitch. Still though the conflicting levels of idealism and cynicism will always conflict with each other in this story._ – Yeah, Archer keeps getting the short end of the stick. As for idealism and cynicism, I wonder which'll win out in the end?

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Archer you did not just assume Kiritsugu failed to rescue your younger self._ – He did. Imagine how embarrassing it'd be if he was wrong.

 **Parks98:** _I understand why Archer would think that Sora would only meet Shirou after the fire since let's be honest most people wouldn't go into what basically looks like a mini version of hell just to look for survivors…and Kiritsugu was not really sane until he saw Shirou…but really!? I guy who seems to be pissed and has pissed off Alaya is not a normal person._ – To be fair, he's not really assuming Sora's 'normal;' he just doesn't know enough about Sora to say he's particularly spectacular, either. _Archer just needs to see and trace Sora's Keyblade to find out how screwed Alaya is._ – Actually, Keyblades have a weird relationship with tracing. Archer _could_ glean history from it, as you suggested, but, because of how intimately each Keyblade is connected to their Keybladers, he wouldn't actually be able to make a copy of it—just thought I'd throw that out there, because it's going to be important later down the line. _Archer and Shirou are going to fight in Shirou's Station of Serenity like Sora and Roxas did._ – Well, there _is_ going to be a fighting in Shirou's Dive to the Heart, and there _is_ going to be a fight between him and Archer, the two just aren't necessarily one and the same.

 **ultima-owner:** _Time travel is really mind bending._ – It really is. I remember when 3D first came out I kept trying to wrap my mind around it.

 **TalesofDark0:** _Have you seen Fate Grand Order - First order. The Movie, not the game. It seems magic is a lot more effective on Servants than people seem to think. Cu Chulainn dominated Archer (Emiya) with ease using magic and then one shot Saber with one magic spell._ – I've only seen clips at the moment, but it looks really cool and I need to get around to seeing it at some point. (Also, from what I've seen, Cu as Caster is amazing.) That's interesting, though; I'll have to watch it and look at Caster Cu's stats (assuming it won't be too difficult to find them.)

 _Any thoughts or theories on the chapter? Feel free to let me know!_


	59. Enemies

_Here's chapter fifty – nine. Thank you Parks98, DPSS, ultima-owner, The Unknown GPX, Actso9, and t12road for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Fifty – Nine: Enemies**

Kirei stopped outside the Matou household. He examined the doorway then, casually, lifted a hand and knocked.

Nothing happened for several moments.

Kirei knocked again.

Fumbling sounded, then cursing. The door flew open, revealing a blue-haired boy sporting a furious expression. "Don't you know how early it is? What do you want?"

"I suppose you must be Shinji Matou?"

"Yeah." Shinji eyed him suspiciously. "So what?"

"You're Zouken Matou's inept grandson, correct? The one borrowing his adopted sister's Servant to participate in the Holy Grail War?"

"Inept! Wait—how'd you know about the Grail War? Are you another participant?" Worry briefly creased his features.

"No. I'm simply an observer. I have no interest in jeopardizing your position in this War. In fact, I might be able to take away a potential threat."

"E-eh? How so?"

"Tell me, Shinji, how would you feel if Sakura was no longer in your life?"

"What?"

"Only for a little while. I'm sure your grandfather wants her, correct? But she overshadows you so greatly that he has no time for you."

Shinji seethed. "I don't have time for—"

"So perhaps we can make a bargain. You see, I need Sakura for something. I'd only need to borrow her. Then you would have your grandfather's undivided attention, and could not only prove your skills, but perhaps make a rescue attempt."

Shinji looked skeptical. "And how would that work?"

"I will keep Sakura for a few days. Then, when you come to rescue her, I'll let you approach her without any difficulty. If you bring back Zouken's most prized possession, surely that will earn his gratitude? Perhaps the combination of these two elements will truly prove your worth."

"Maybe. But I don't need _Sakura_ to prove that." He glared.

"Perhaps not. But are you really willing to pass up the opportunity? If you wish for a greater test of skill, then I'm sure I can arrange that."

"N-no, that's alright!" His fearful expression shifted to something more thoughtful. "And I'll be able to get to her? No danger?"

"Of course. Though I can't promise the same for anyone else, should they come."

Shinji's expression gradually turned to something smug, amused. "Well, maybe I don't need it, but why not? If nothing else she'll be _gone_ for a while. Maybe Grandfather will think she ran away."

Kirei remained silent. He fingered the black keys, hidden, inside his robe, a bottle of holy water weighing heavily against his chest.

"Okay, okay, fine, but make it quick! I don't want to get the fallout for this."

"Thank you." He stepped across the threshold.

Instantly he was on alert. He was certain the old worm knew about his presence, and had, quite likely, heard his conversation with Shinji. That meant he had little time.

Shinji added, "She's probably sulking in her room—upstairs on the right."

Kirei nodded and moved. He Reinforced his legs and leapt the height, hurrying towards the room Shinji indicated and opening the door.

Sakura whipped towards him, eyes widening.

Kirei hardly gave her time to react before he'd swept her out the window.

 **-Rin** approached the church.

Saber trailed behind, eyeing the building tensely.

Rin took a deep breath. The sunlight made the church seem less ominous—or, perhaps, that was simply the lack of fake priest inside.

An older man had taken over services after Kirei's departure—kindly, but rather innocuous and a little stuffy. Rin suspected the church had wanted someone who wouldn't cause quite the same stir and suffering his predecessor had, and was still reeling from the fact that one of their greatest assets had turned out quite so foul. Despite the new pastor's welcoming presence, however, the church never entirely escaped its dark past.

A new man, however, had been sent as an overseer, and Rin had no idea who he was or how he'd react to their proposition.

They building loomed ahead.

The two stopped in front of the large wooden doors, Saber still eyeing it warily.

Rin took a deep breath. "Geez, what do I have to be so nervous about?" She straightened. "Right." She opened the door.

Sunlight painted the pews in warm colors. The stained glass glittered brilliantly. A man kneeled before the alter at the front, young, head bowed deeply, robes draped.

Rin said, "Father."

The man lifted his head quickly. He flashed a surprised look at them, then stood and bowed. "Welcome. I haven't seen you before, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Hiroshi Hirai. I am here while Father Adachi is away."

"And you're the overseer of the Holy Grail War."

The man sobered. "You're a mage."

"Yes. We spoke on the phone, right when the War was about to start, to confirm my participation. My name is Rin Tohsaka."

"Then I suppose this must be Saber." Hiroshi turned dark eyes towards the Servant.

Saber straightened.

Hiroshi turned grim attention back to Rin. "What brings you here? Are you interested in seeking sanctuary and forfeiting?"

"No. I'm asking for a cease-fire."

The overseer blinked. "Oh?"

"The Holy Grail is corrupted. It's not going to grant anyone's wish."

Hiroshi blanched. "Corrupted? But—how? It's supposed to be a divine artifact."

"If you recall Scriptures, Father, even angels can fall."

Hiroshi narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond for several moments. "How do you know this?"

"Last War's winner, Kiritsugu Emiya, interacted with the Grail's will. It twisted his wish for peace into something that involved almost all of humanity being killed. When he realized this, he ordered his Servant to destroy the Grail, rather than accept it."

Saber's fists clenched.

Rin kept the overseer's gaze, pinning him.

Hiroshi shifted. He glanced aside and folded his arms behind his back. "How do you know what he says is true?"

"His Servant and another former Grail War participant confirmed it." Rin ground her teeth.

Hiroshi's eyes widened, then flashed towards Saber. His expression turned thoughtful. "Even if you're lying, I suppose it would be a good opportunity to keep the artifact out of the hands of mages." Then he glanced aside, sweat beading on his forehead. "But, I, I'm not sure."

"This wouldn't be the first time a cease-fire was issued. One was implemented last War to stop Caster."

Hiroshi shifted.

Rin's eyes narrowed. "If you're worried about consequences, don't. The Einzberns and myself will cover you."

"I-it's, well." Hiroshi shifted. He sighed, shoulders slumping heavily. "I'm afraid I don't know if I can grant your request."

"And why's that?"

"Just—just give me some time. Maybe I can—" He stopped, eyes widening.

Saber tensed, summoning her armor and sword. "You."

Rin asked, "Who? Saber, who's here?"

"You dare to ask such a question?" A man stepped from the shadows, golden motes painting him brightly. He smiled, his red eyes narrowed.

Saber asked, "What are _you_ doing here, Archer? Surely you weren't summoned again?"

"Hardly. It's been too long, Saber." The word slid oddly off his tongue. "You remember the results of our last battle, don't you?"

"You—"

"The Grail granted me physical form. I can exist in this world as long as I please. Which means I can take back what is mine."

Rin glanced from Saber to the man and back.

Hiroshi took a few steps back, eyes wide.

Saber's grip tightened on her sword. "I already rejected your proposal, Archer. My mind hasn't changed."

"But I'm not talking about just you, Saber." He spread his arms. "This world belongs to me—including the Holy Grail." He laughed abruptly. "But I haven't given up on you yet! I assure you, Saber, I will take you as my own."

"You can try."

Hiroshi begged, "Please, Gligamesh, this is holy ground! No fighting here."

"You dare to chastise me, cur?"

Hiroshi blanched.

Rin shook her head and took a step. "You already know the Grail is corrupted, don't you?"

"Yes. But," Gilgamesh's eyes became deadly serious, "that relic, like everything else, belongs to me."

Rin eyed him warily, then turned to Hiroshi, who looked mildly upset. "Why do you have a former Servant in the church?"

"Because," Gilgamesh answered, "he understands how to treat a king."

Hiroshi glanced away, the anger deepening.

Saber met Gilgamesh's gaze, her voice trembling but face impassive. "You would claim this—this trickster for your own, regardless of the consequences?"

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. "I have my own plans for the Grail, Saber." He glanced aside. "Kirei may find interest in other worlds, but this one belongs to me alone, and it requires cleaning."

Rin stuttered, "Kirei?"

Hiroshi moved. "I-I think you should leave." He ushered them towards the door. "Please, please, just—stay away."

Gilgamesh watched. "I will give you a week, Saber, before I return to win you. And then," he grinned, "the king will finally enter the battlefield."

 **-Kirei** glanced back at Sakura.

The girl followed him obediently, albeit slowly. "You know this is pointless."

"Oh?"

Sakura lifted her head, dull eyes meeting his. "Grandfather will find a way to take me back. It's only a matter of time."

"I'm certain he'll do _something_." Kirei turned. "But I am well aware of Zouken's abilities. I don't intend to underestimate him."

Sakura remained quiet several moments. "What do you want me for?"

"Has Zouken told you that you were fashioned to be an artificial Grail?"

A pause. "No."

"A pity. It seems you're of great value to both of us."

Silence reigned a few moments longer.

"Don't worry," Kirei continued, "I assure you that you'll be perfectly safe for the time being."

"I wasn't worried. My life has been irrelevant for a long time."

He sensed a note of something hidden beneath, but didn't try and ferret it out. _Perhaps later._ "Very well, then. Maybe it's better. I have a very important wish I need you to fulfil."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _You know I never really understood why Rin never tried to be around Sakura in this and canon._ – I think that Rin's guilt over the situation ultimately keeps her away—at least, in canon, since it's definitely the reason here. Every time she sees Sakura she's reminded of their father's choice and, as a child, she probably had too much suddenly thrust upon her to really think a whole lot about her sister's wellbeing (what with Tokiomi dying and Aoi being in a pretty bad mental state). She wouldn't really be able to check in on Sakura at first, and later, when her life situation was more stable, the guilt over that might make her more hesitant to approach her sister. (And possibly hesitant to admit her feelings to herself, even, though she tends to hide from her own feelings a lot, anyways.)

 **DPSS:** _God damnit Sora! I thought we'd been over this already!?_ – He's struggling a bit.

 **ultima-owner:** _waiting for the walls around her heart to fall is the best plan. It may take time but it's better if it's on her terms._ – Probably, though not very fun for everyone involved.

 **The Ultimate GPX:** _Just want to put it out there that the person Caster Cu Chulainn fought was not Archer EMIYA, but Assassin EMIYA._ – Actually, I think it _was_ Archer; at least, the clips I saw had him primarily using a bow, and some other sources I found when looking said so, so I'm assuming he's still the Archer class.

 **Actso9:** _Wasn't the point of that to stop Shirou from becoming a "Hero of Justice" who doesn't care about his self worth._ – Actually, that's only part of the problem. Archer, in canon, gave his most prominent reason for wanting to kill Shirou as creating a paradox that would erase himself and free him from his deal with the world. However, he also admitted that that was a bit of a long shot, and I believe at the end of UBW there's a line where he admits he's also partly doing it out of spite. Here, he's still reeling from the whole situation and trying to grasp something so that he has a clear plan. He doesn't know this Shirou yet, even if he has bits and pieces, and so, until he knows otherwise, he's sticking to his current plan—though he is, admittedly, rather uncertain about his course of action on the inside. _BTW out of curiously who is stronger. The original Shirou who gained Archer's powers or the Keyblade Wielder Shirou. Who would win in a fight._ – Hmm. Without any unnatural boosts involved and at their strongest? (i.e., Servant/CG/etc.) I think the original Shirou has more raw fighting power due to UBW, _but_ Keyblader Shirou could and would use his knowledge of his opponent's feelings to his advantage, and could possibly enforce his own over his opponent's. In the end I think it'd actually be a pretty close match, and would depend on how quickly the original Shirou brought out UBW and used it to its fullest.

 **t12road:** _Nope it was Archer Emiya. Seeing as how even Caster Chulainn was calling EMIYA archer not assassin. He was clearly seen using bows and arrows as well._ \- …While I appreciate the attempt at a correction, I'm not actually sure about the point of this review, as it's in response to another review—that I hadn't even responded to yet—had nothing to do with the story/things said in-chapter prior, and I don't think through reviews is going to be the best way to have a conversation. Sorry if this seems rude, but I _am_ concerned that if things like this start happening arguments between reviewers while start in story reviews, and I'd like to stop that before it happens.

 _While I don't think the review above was particularly ill-meaning—it's actually pretty normal considering things I've seen elsewhere—I_ am _going to take this opportunity to say that, while I encourage different points of view being expressed and building off previous reviews, please don't try to start an extended conversation or attack someone through reviews. Thanks in advance._


	60. First Link

_Here's chapter sixty! Thank you reality deviant, Galer, ultima-owner, Guest/The Unknown GPX, and Kiri Kaitou Clover for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty: First Link**

Kiritsugu sighed. "They're going off on their own, aren't they?"

Rider's voice echoed through his mind. _"Looks that way. Not sure where, though. You want me to tail them?"_

"Yeah. I've already lost most of the things important to me. I don't want to lose my daughter, too."

 _"Understood. But—you know neither of them are actual Masters, right? That might mean there's nothing to worry about."_

"I know. They're both still connected to this, though—Shirou as proxy, and Illya as the vessel. If either of them are noticed—"

 _"Right, right. Just wanted to make sure."_ The connection faded.

Kiritsugu sighed and leaned back. He rubbed his temples. _Is this really all I have left? Is stopping the Grail the only thing I'm still able to do for this world?_

His mind flicked to Illya.

He shook his head. _Never mind. There's one more thing I'm still capable of._ He reached under his bed and removed a long case. _I will not stand idly by while my comrades fight._

 **-Shirou** and Illya walked the streets towards the Matou household. It had yet to appear in the distance, leaving Shirou to ponder the image he'd seen while probing Sakura's heart. _Why would_ I _appear? I've never met her before. I was born here, but it's not—it's not_ home _anymore. So why am I in the memories of someone here?_

"So," Illya said, breaking his thoughts, "you were one of the orphans from the fire, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"You have a lot of personal reasons for helping with this War."

He clenched his fists. "Yeah."

Illya huffed. "I think this whole War's stupid. It's only for people who are too lazy to reach their goals themselves." She paused. "Well, usually. But I totally get wanting revenge."

"R-revenge?" Shirou whipped towards her, eyes wide.

Illya nodded. "Yeah. If I had the chance to beat up Grandfather for all the things he'd done, I'd do it. But Dad already killed him."

"That's—um, that's—not what I'm here for."

"Huh." Illya grinned innocently. "That's good, because if you hurt my Dad, I'd have to get revenge on _you_."

Shirou shifted away. "You're—you're a little strange."

Illya flashed a sharp look his way, smile never faltering.

Shirou flinched. He checked her heart quickly. While a brief moment of anger flickered, it was ultimately overwhelmed by curiosity and melancholy. Shirou's guard lowered. He eyed Illya thoughtfully.

"So," Illya said, "if you aren't here to get back at the people who hurt you, then why fight?"

Shirou focused ahead. "I just want to stop something like the fire from happening again. So more people don't end up like me."

Illya gave him a long, sideways look, then huffed. "You seem like you turned out fine to me."

"Eh?"

"If you could go back and time and stop the fire from happening, would you do it?"

"Of course."

"Even though you wouldn't be 'you' now?"

He paused.

Illya focused forward, her expression oddly neutral. "I used to think that, if I could go back and stop Grandfather from keeping me—if I could go with Mother and Father when they left for the War, or if I could convince them to run away sooner—then I would. But then I wouldn't be the same 'me' anymore."

Shirou watched her, then asked quietly, "Even if it could save a lot more people?"

"But we don't _know_ that. Besides, it's the past—what's the point of wishing we could change it?"

Shirou didn't answer for several long moments. "I still have nightmares about it. The fire, I mean. I still wonder what I could've done to save them."

"You think a kid could've done something?"

"I should've tried."

"And gotten killed."

Shirou clenched his fists.

Illya continued quietly, "If it helps any, I still have nightmares, too."

Shirou flashed her a surprised look.

"That's why _I_ want to stop this stupid War. So Dad and I can just go back to our normal lives."

Shirou absorbed the comment and touched her heart, considering how to respond.

Illya lifted her head. "Hey, that's it, right?" She hurried ahead.

Shirou jerked, connection snapping, then sighed and ruffled his hair. He watched her.

 _He faced a white-haired girl, a behemoth of a man—was it a man—standing beside her, glaring fire. Saber stood guard, ready to attack._

Shirou shook his head. He grimaced, faint pain slicing his chest.

"Are you coming?"

Shirou nodded and hurried after Illya.

The two stood at the entrance. Shirou knocked.

No one answered.

They waited a few moments. Shirou knocked again, and still received no response. He frowned. "Maybe there's nobody home." He activated his magic and sent tendrils through the house. Faint hearts pinged on his radar, as well as the Servant and a very strange heart, somewhere deep within the house.

Regardless, neither Shinji nor Sakura were present. He tested the doorknob and found it locked.

Illya huffed. "Then let's find our own way in."

"Wait! The point of coming was to talk to Sakura. If she's not here—"

"Maybe she just didn't hear us. Besides, we could still learn something. Maybe we can find out why she thinks her Grandfather's so scary."

He thought about arguing that that wasn't the best idea, but Illya was already off.

She circled the house, hands folded behind her back, eyeing the windows.

Shirou followed uncertainly, following her gaze and keeping his heart magic open, reaching to touch any incoming hearts. The only things that registered, for the moment, were those already inside the mansion. He summoned Vir. "If we're _really_ going to break in, then—"

Illya stopped and pointed. "There! A window's open."

Shirou leaned back and squinted. "That's pretty high. How are we going to get there?"

"You'll just have to give me a boost."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Ready?"

He sighed and bent, cupping his hands.

Illya clambered onto his shoulders.

He grimaced and swung his hands to quickly grasp her ankles. He stood unsteadily. "I don't think we're tall enough. Illya?"

Illya tensed.

"Illya—"

She jumped, ripping from Shirou's grip.

Shirou stumbled backwards, shoulders stinging, then panicked, and caught himself, extending his arms.

Illya grasped the window ledge, faint glowing lines running her legs. She scrambled and nearly slipped.

Shirou jerked. _I should've just insisted on using Vir._

Illya finally dragged herself through the small opening. A faint crash echoed outside.

Shirou winced and cast another glance about. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" Illya's face appeared in the window. "I'll come down and let you in."

"I really don't need—"

Illya disappeared.

He puffed a sigh. "Wish she'd stop and listen." He walked back to the front of the house.

A few people passed by. He tried to look casual, leaning against the door, watching people warily. Time passed. He shifted, glancing uncertainly at the door. _It shouldn't have taken_ that _long to come down to the door._ He frowned and activated his heart magic, extending it through the household.

The various small hearts pinged on his radar, followed by Berserker's. Illya's heart appeared close by, horror and fear and bitterness winding through her heart.

Shirou whipped around, Vir appearing. He aimed it at the door's keyhole. A light flickered at the tip and streamed into the opening. A click sounded.

Shirou threw the door open and hurried towards Illya, trying to project feelings of reassurance over the link while simultaneously tamping down his own concern.

The signature led him down a set of stairs. White hair appeared. "Are you alright?"

She stood, halfway down the steps, frozen, eyes wide.

Shirou stopped. "You aren't being attacked?"

Illya's fists clenched and the horror slowly drained, replaced by a steely anger. "So this is the Matou magic."

Shirou followed her gaze. Worms squirmed across the basement floor, barely visible in the dark. _So those were the small hearts._ He paused, frowning. _Actually, they seem oddly reminiscent of the strange heart hiding somewhere on the top floors. And, actually, a little like—_

Shirou's eyes snapped wide. "Why would Sakura have one of these near her heart?"

Illya flashed him a look.

If she had an answer, she didn't have the opportunity to give it. Berserker materialized at the top of the steps. A young girl in a white dress and red hair parting around a golden horn faced them, brandishing a large, spherical mace.

Shirou tensed, holding Vir ready.

Illya faced her, red lines flaring across her body.

Berserker tilted her head.

Shirou lifted a hand. "We're sorry for trespassing. We meant no harm. We'll leave."

Berserker suddenly appeared in front of him, mace swung backwards.

Shirou kicked away, eyes wide, swinging Vir.

Berserker stalled. Glowing threads momentarily restrained her.

Illya stood just behind her, hand fisted. "Go!"

Shirou sprang past her, catching the girl and dragging her along.

The strings creaked and Berserker broke free.

Shirou and Illya entered the main house. Shirou kept a lock on Berserker's heart. It approached them at a rapid pace, radiating dissent.

 _Wait. I can sense her emotions._

Shirou skidded and turned on his heel, dragging Illya behind him.

She yelped, "What are you doing?"

He flung his emotions across the link—focusing on pacifying the Servant, that they didn't wish to fight.

Berserker continued charging.

 _Think, think!_

He recalled his conversation with Sakura. _"Is Shinji a proxy, then? For you, I mean."_

 _Sakura! We want to help Sakura!_ He focused on the desire and tried to send the force of the emotions behind it over the link.

Berserker paused. Her mace remained drawn back, but she didn't move.

Shirou and Illya watched, tensed. Shirou slid backwards, experimentally.

Air whooshed past them. Rider materialized in a flurry of light.

Berserker jerked and lifted her mace. The weapon collided with Rider's sword.

Shirou asked, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Keeping you guys out of trouble. Not that I succeeded very well." He pulled away, eyeing Berserker warily. "Get out! I'll stall her. Kiritsugu's watching close by, just in case."

Illya asked, "Dad?" She pulled away.

Shirou hesitated. He watched Berserker a moment, then turned.

He sensed a brief flash of disappointment before he cut the link.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _Its about to get real messy._ – Indeed.

 **Galer:** _crap i only hope that kirei do es not liverate dark sakura the are alredy dificult at it is_ – He would never do such a thing. _one question wat is your opinion abaut self-incert histories_ – I'm assuming you mean 'stories'? I don't have a problem with them, provided the self-insert is still treated like a realistic character and functions for the betterment of the story.

 **ultima-owner:** _Kirei has implemented his plan B. Plan A was derailed by them teaming up to stop the war._ – And his plan B has already effectively caused them problems.

 **Guest/The Unknown GPX:** _Hmm, I understand then since the previous review of mine seems to agitate some people then let's agree to disagree and have to ourselves who we think what Servant class EMIYA is then._ – It's fine! Thanks for being calm about it. _Also I like to point out that all us readers don't know what your Shirou can do since he barely has any action scenes done about him and to be honest from what I can gather he is even more inept in battle than the Original Shirou power wised and seems less qualify for a battle of the intensity the Holy Grail War can be._ – Fair enough. That lack of fight scenes will be remedied as the Grail War goes on—in some cases in spectacular fashion.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _... okay so Kirei is covering all his bases. BUT WHY SAKURA?! HASN'T SHE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH?! (Gilgamesh is an ass. I still prefer his child self.)_ – Because he has to make his enemies suffer. (And agreed on child Gilgamesh, I like him a lot better than his older counterpart.)

 _If you have any thoughts or questions, drop a review and let me know!_


	61. Heart to Heart

_Here's chapter sixty – one! Thank you RedRat8, ultima-owner, DPSS, Galer, Parks98, Deathclaw 2015, and L33t Horo for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – One: Heart to Heart**

Sora breathed slowly. His Keyblade swung idly through the air. He kept his posture straight, focused, as he practiced in the courtyard. He took a step, both hands grasping the Kingdom Key, and swept into an uppercut, releasing one hand and finishing the upward swipe, then dragging his weapon low for a midsection slash, almost immediately pulling away and, two-handed again, lifting the blade to block an imaginary overhead strike.

The easy, familiar routine was meant to keep his mind off his worries, but instead he found his concentration drifting to older times. Back when he'd first unlocked the full effects of his heart magic, he'd done this often, using his blade work as a focus, to try and steady him, and had performed the routines more times than he could count.

It seemed strange, now, to be doing it again, especially without his apprentice nearby. For all his fear, he'd grown used to the company. But now his fears might very well be realized, and, despite his anger and terror, despite how much a part of him hated the world for it, he still understood. Perhaps, he considered, that was the worst part of all.

 _Focus. Let it all drain away._ His feet slid neatly, Keyblade one-handed in a quick feint, and he turned, pivot controlled, to cut an imaginary back, then parried on his left, right, and slid along an invisible blade to stab again.

He continued for a while, parrying imaginary blows and landing imaginary strikes, keeping his blade and foot work controlled. Eventually sweat beaded his brow and he stopped, stabbing the Keyblade into the ground and resting his hands on top.

"Well," a voice drawled, "that was quite the show, Keyblade Master."

Sora whipped around, weapon at the ready.

A hooded figure watched from the shadows.

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? How disappointing." He strolled towards him.

Sora tensed. _There's something about his voice that's familiar, but I can't place it._ "You're a memory, aren't you?"

"Very good. The Puppet Master fill you in?" The man circled Sora. "I've been waiting for you."

"Why stay here? What do you have to gain?"

"I suppose I owe some loyalty to the man who dragged me from a hopeless memory and let me have my own life. You'd know a little something about that, wouldn't you?"

Sora's eyes narrowed.

"You're taking this better than expected, considering my identity."

"Your identity?"

The man laughed—and now the sound echoed familiar, recognizable, as something very similar to his own. "You really haven't realized! That's interesting. Tell me, what kind of memory do you think the Puppet Master would take if he wanted to torture _you_?"

Sora gritted his teeth. He touched his magic to the man's heart, and all at once was overwhelmed by sensations and emotions—fear, anger, sadness, hatred, an all-consuming hunger and images that burned his mind. It bore similarities to when Roxas had passed his memories along, breaking through all barriers because, between two of the same individuals, there were none.

Sora forcibly cut the magic, meeting the eyes barely visible beneath the hood. "You're me."

"And did you really need your magic to confirm that?"

Sora watched a few moments then, slowly, shook his head.

"Good." Yellow eyes gleamed. "But, let's get a little more accurate—I'm you, but only a version. I'm your 'Anti Form,' so to speak, an individual who was never saved by Kairi's light in Hollow Bastion." He paused. "I suppose that's Radiant Garden now, isn't it?"

Sora watched him, hand tightening around his weapon. "And you're the one causing the Heartless to act up?"

The man— _himself?_ —watched, unmoving.

"You—if you _are_ me, then you should already know what that brings."

"Hmm. Well, you see, I _am_ still technically a Heartless."

Sora glared and tensed, ready to spring.

"But I think you overestimate my power." He tilted his head. "Huh. I wonder if you really understand us at all." He moved, circling slowly, hand lifted to his chin in thought.

Sora turned to follow, still ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Don't get me wrong—it might indirectly be my fault. My memory was pulled from the Realm of Darkness."

Sora's eyes snapped wide.

"In my lifetime, I fought a long time. You have some idea what it's like, right? To be slowly losing yourself to something you have no control over. You start pushing back, clinging desperately to whatever shreds remain of who you once were, even as you're starting to lose pieces of yourself, bit by bit, to the darkness inside you. You do things you'd never think you would, but you do what it takes. You fight. You claw your way back to some sort of semblance of who you used to be, and maybe you sort of resemble that man, but you don't recognize your broken reflection. Unsurprisingly, your friends don't, either." Something almost wistful, almost sad, entered his voice.

Sora's guard dropped slightly, though he never turned his eyes away.

"At any rate, fighting like that _does_ things to people. Unsurprisingly, the Heartless considered me a sort of leader. I could control them." He shrugged. "Perhaps, when the Puppet Master freed my memory, they sensed a strong Heartless entering the worlds. They have weird senses like that. Maybe taking me from the Realm of Darkness's memories destabilized it. I've seen it happen. So yeah, I'm probably the catalyst. But I just sped things up. It would've happened again, anyways."

"What are you talking about?"

The other Sora stopped, finally, and focused, face barely visible beneath the hood, yellow eyes gleaming. "'The greater the light, the longer your shadow becomes.' Get the irony here? There's always going to be darkness in people's hearts. As long as there's darkness, the Heartless will exist. And with you guys getting more Keybladers—warriors of the light—you're only going to increase the shadow you cast.

"You're fighting a losing battle. No matter how _good_ you Keybearers are, you guys still attract Heartless. Maybe it's _your_ fault the Heartless are acting up." He chuckled. "I suppose it's _your_ fault anyways, right? We're the same."

"No. We aren't."

His shadow watched him. "Guess I hadn't realized how much you would attach yourself to that idea. Maybe I should've, considering Roxas."

Abruptly the shadow loomed above him.

Sora's Keyblade whipped to block.

The Heartless caught the blade and held it. His hood slid back a bit, revealing glowing yellow eyes and faint dark trails leaking from the man's skin. The facial features were similar, if younger, to his own. "Don't misunderstand me. I have no vested interest in watching the worlds fall apart. I have no particular reason to _save_ them, either. If the Heartless are allowed to roam free, fine. If not, it's just the same as before."

Sora's eyes narrowed. He pushed back. "Then, what? You're here for me?"

The Heartless chuckled and released his blade, leaping away. "A part of me hates you, for how much _easier_ you had it, and for how _innocent_ you still are. But it's an abstract sort of hatred. So, no. I have no particular interest or reason to care about seeing you fall. It's like I said—the Puppet Master's the one who wants to see you suffer. Since I owe him, I figure I'd better give it my best go." He raised an eyebrow. "Do you hate _me,_ Keyblade Master?"

Sora considered a moment, then stood straighter and pointed his Keyblade. "I think that, right now, you're an enemy."

"Hmm. Not sure you'll get far like that. But I suppose that means we're done here." The Heartless lunged.

Sora swung the Kingdom Key and blocked, hooking a foot behind his opponent's to trip him.

The Heartless caught the Keyblade with his free hand, used it to right himself, and flipped over it, using the weapon as a base. He whipped clawed hands towards his opponent.

Sora spun to block. He twisted his blade around his opponent's arm to stab, but the shadow disengaged, tilted backwards, and rolled, swinging a leg.

Sora jumped, pointed the Keyblade, and growled, "Blizzaga!"

The ice crystals hit the area where the Heartless once stood. The man perched on them, bestial, then launched, claws outstretched.

Sora lifted his weapon and hit his opponent's midsection, flipping him onto the ground.

The Heartless landed with a thud and a grunt, but recovered quickly.

Sora moved towards him.

 _Sora moved towards his friends, long shadowy claws reaching for their hearts while they screamed at him to stop._

He skidded to a halt, blinking. The image didn't change. He still stared at Riku and Kairi, watching him, fearful expressions on their faces, and still saw smoky wisps trailing skyward. "Why are—?" He shook his head and took a deep breath. He squeezed his eyes closed. _It's not real. Focus. Focus!_

When he opened his eyes again, both the image and his shadow had disappeared.

Sora frowned. _If the Puppet Master wants him to get back at me, then why leave? That was the perfect opening._

The idea hit him a moment later. _Shirou._ He cursed and sprinted out of the courtyard.

 **-Shirou** trailed behind Kiritsugu. The man had checked them over, briefly, once they'd left the Matou residence, and then hastened to put as much distance between them and the building as possible.

He hadn't spoken much, but his heart told Shirou that a combination of anxiety, relief, a little anger, and determination flurried behind his mask.

Illya seemed much more uncertain, watching her father worriedly.

Shirou nudged her. "It's alright. He was just worried. He's a little mad, but that's just because he was concerned. I doubt he'll punish you or anything."

Illya shrugged.

"Well," a voice drawled, "you took my advice, after all."

Shirou stopped. No one walked the streets.

"Shirou?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Shirou sent his magic out, and found a heart waiting, hidden off the road. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Illya huffed. "After we were just attacked by a Servant?"

Kiritsugu called, "Illya. Shirou. Is everything alright?"

A figure stepped from the shadows, hood still drawn. "Oh, no. Don't worry about sending them away. I have a place we can talk in private without that."

Shirou summoned Vir. "What are you—"

The world spun and warped. Veins flared across the surface like cracking glass. Shirou stumbled, and suddenly fell into darkness.

 **-When** Shirou awoke, he found himself lying on a familiar stained glass platform. He grunted and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Xion?"

"I thought she told you she couldn't reach you here."

Shirou was on his feet instantly.

The figure approached him. "The path of the warrior, huh? That can be pretty solitary, you know."

"You're the one who told me about the War."

"Look who remembers! I'm flattered." He lifted a hand, darkness trailing from his fingers. "We're going to have a very _interesting_ chat, Shirou. I've been dying to get to know you better."

Shirou had enough time to summon Vir and block before the figure was upon him, clawed hands pressing the blade, yellow eyes glowing in a face obscured by shadow.

* * *

 _And this is the part where I look back at everyone who commented they were getting Vanitas vibes from this guy and sigh. You guys were so close! Anywho, review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _So Sakura's Servant is Frankenstein's Monster? That...actually make a surprisingly amount of sense._ – Yep! I knew Kiritsugu was going to have Rider early on, so I spent time deciding what Servant would best fit Sakura, and Frankenstein's Monster (considering her history) seemed like a good choice.

 **ultima-owner:** _Berserker seems like she's more than willing to help._ – She is, sort of.

 **DPSS:** _Goddamnit Shirou. You do realise you've just A) lost a lot of trust with Berserker and B) wasted a chance to save someone._ – While he _did_ lose some points with Berserker, hope isn't entirely lost for an alliance; he _did_ send his emotions over the link, after all.

 **Galer:** _wy dont burning that goodfornothin-worm infested hause to the graund...i now that shirou doesnt now about the worm...but fuck y really want to see Souken bein defeated badlly._ – Well, they didn't burn the house down largely because of what you said: they don't really know much about Zouken. Also the fact that they were trying to escape Berserker helps.

 _also what its your opinion abaut jojo bizarre adventure. And finally keyblader Shirou vs jotaro kujo and his stand star platinunt the world( it have the ridiculous power to stop time for 5 secont)_ – I actually know very little about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and definitely not enough to form an opinion on it. Also not enough to really answer your second question, either.

 **Parks98:** _Yeah even though Illya is cute she is pure nightmare fuel when she has Berserker with her and say's "Kill them" like it's no big deal._ – Oh, yes; she could definitely be pretty frightening. She's less so here (because of the whole 'Kiritsugu saving here' thing), but there are still times when she can pull it off…

 **Deathclaw 2015:** _Gilgamesh is honestly better as a Caster as it is a aspect of himself that became the King. That version is far Archer version is the aspect of Gilgamesh as a Tyrant.. Caster Gil is post-Enkidu. Another way for Gil to play nice is to summon Enkidu.._ – I guess that's what I get for not keeping up with Grand Order, because I didn't know what about Caster Gil. I _did_ know about Enkidu, though. _Honestly, with Sha Naba Imuru/clairoyance he should know about the Keyblade War and canonically possess a Keyblade._ – I get how that Noble Phantasm could give him the ability to know about the Keyblade War, but I'm not sure how that would help him possess a Keyblade?

 **L33t Horo:** _it's a shame the chapter is so short_ – It's kind of due to time. I'm currently working two jobs and have other projects that need attention, as well, so chapters have been shorter to help cut down on stress and not lose motivation to work on the story. Some—specifically climax and battle chapters—will still be longer to give each element their proper weight (and so I don't have to split them up into multiple chapters), but others will probably end up being a little shorter.

 _Let me know your thoughts!_


	62. Drop

_Here's chapter sixty - two! Thank you DPSS, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, Parks98, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Two: Drop**

Shirou pulled back and dipped Vir.

The man whirled away, swinging clawed fingers, wreathed in darkness, towards his arm.

Shirou blocked with Vir, then blocked two more strikes, retreating, while his opponent swung his foot high in a kick. Shirou ducked and, while the man was still spinning, foot just touching the ground, Shirou lunged.

One hand, wreathed in darkness, caught Vir. "You're existence is pretty curious, you know. Not unique, but curious."

Shirou narrowed his eyes and activated his magic. Much like before, darkness seemed to shroud his opponent's heart, the cloud-like barrier proving difficult to sift through.

"You'll have to try a little harder, keybearer." He dragged Shirou closer. "You know—"

Shirou released Vir. The Keyblade vanished. He leapt away, re-summoning the weapon, and transformed it, firing an arrow.

The figure caught it. "Hmph. It's rude to—"

A second arrow forced the man to block. One right on its heels made it past his defenses; several surrounded him, preventing movement.

His opponent cocked his head. "Fine. You want to be difficult? We'll do all our fighting first." He vanished.

Shirou transformed Vir back, sending his heart magic wildly in all directions. A heart blipped suddenly before him. He lifted Vir just as the man reappeared.

His opponent caught the blade, lifted himself over it, and slashed at Shirou's face.

Shirou swung away, dismissing and re-summoning Vir.

The man landed on all fours, then lunged, claws swinging.

Shirou backpedaled, swinging Vir quickly to block. His strikes rang, blade flying, a blur cutting shadows. Yellow pinpricks followed his movements, visible every now and again between black lines.

His heel slid into empty air.

The man hooked Shirou's foot from beneath him.

Shirou tilted. He flung a hand and gripped his opponent's arm.

The shadowy figure pushed forward.

Shirou dragged himself towards his opponent, turning, pressed close to his enemy, and forcibly dragging them both further onto the platform. With the figure now backed towards the edge, Shirou pointed Vir towards the man's chest.

The figure watched him a few moments. "You'll have to do better than that." He vanished abruptly.

Shirou tensed, heart magic flooding the area.

The man's heart appeared behind him.

He turned, blocked a strike.

The man vanished again, then reappeared to his left.

Shirou whipped around, only to find his opponent gone, traces of his heart missing. It flared above him, and he swung Vir high, blocked a strike, before the figure disappeared again.

The shadow flickered in and out rapidly. Shirou kept up for a while, but the constant strain of using both magic and blade—and the speed at which the man teleported—wore his defenses. A claw nicked his cheek. Another cut his side. He skidded, then took a deep, steadying breath and braced himself.

The heart flickered to his right.

Shirou turned, arms spread, and tackled his opponent.

The man squawked.

Shirou wrapped his arms tightly around the shadow, blade pressed to his side.

The man struggled, squirming desperately. He kicked and bit. Gradually he forced Shirou's arms apart—shaking, panting, darkness wreathing his arms in gouts—and used them to lift himself, kicking Shirou's chest. The two separated.

Shirou transformed Vir and fired.

The man side-stepped, then moved, quicker, as Shirou continued firing shots. He briefly disappeared and reappeared, on occasion, to avoid the attacks, and drew nearer to Shirou.

Shirou alter his aim, shooting at the man's foot.

The attack finally connect. The shadow stumbled.

He launched himself in an instant, his blade poised to land a crushing swing to his side.

Instead and trying to dodge, the shadow lunged into the attack.

Shirou's eyes snapped wide. "Wait—you'll—"

While Shirou tried to slow his swing, the man continued moving. He slid through Shirou's guard, one clawed hand reaching for his heart.

Panic flared. He released Vir, gripping the man's hand with both his.

The claws cut fabric and broke skin, just barely, and a chill crawled up his chest. While Shirou struggled the pull the hand free, the other claw swung towards his head.

Shirou lifted one hand to block. The other, still struggling with the claw, shook, the claw digging a little deeper. A primal fear flared. His magic activated and shot towards the foreign heart. _"That's enough!"_ The fear and desperation flooded the link, overwhelmed the dark cloud, erasing any trace of existence from the heart before him.

The man stalled.

Shirou pushed both arms aside and lifted a knee into the man's stomach, digging it beneath the ribcage. He batted the man aside, backpedaling.

The link remained active. As Shirou's emotions faded the darkness returned. The man cocked his head. "Better. But not enough. Tell me, are you willing to fight like your life depends on it? I want to see how far you can be pushed."

Shirou took a deep, shuddering breath, and pressed a hand across his chest. He summoned Vir and lunged. He stabbed, only for his opponent to swing away, claws swinging towards Shirou's head. Shirou ducked, flipping his blade and stabbing sideways, following it and disengaging up towards his opponent's shoulder.

The shadow took a glancing blow, slide along the blade, and reached for Shirou.

A flick of his wrist and Vir turned, aimed at his enemy's side.

The shadow jumped, kicking, while Shirou leaned backwards, Vir swinging to block. The figure spun, landed, and lunged, Shirou ducking close to the side, Vir cutting towards his opponent's back.

The man dodged and turned, and the two exchanged blows briefly, then moved apart. Shirou attempted to flood the link, as before, but his efforts were hindered by the cloud.

"Not enough." Shadows engulfed him, and he sank into the floor.

Shirou backpedaled, his connection to the heart momentarily gone, while the shadow came closer. He stabbed.

The shadow erupted, a gout of darkness stretching skyward. Shirou had managed to back up enough to avoid the worst, but it still struck him a glancing blow, propelling him backwards. Two more pillars exploded behind him, knocking him forward, the shadows springing to life in a circle around the platform.

The figure reappeared, cloaked in darkness. He moved, slowly, with purpose, for a few moments, then vanished again, appearing before Shirou with claws coated in wispy tendrils. He slashed rapidly, one strike aimed at Shirou's head, another his side, his stomach, his shoulder. One cut deep into his cheek. He stumbled and fell, but lifted his legs quickly, kicking the man away.

His enemy flipped and landed, then launched again, spinning, sending dark waves outward in pulses.

Shirou lifted Vir and braced himself, ducking behind the weapon.

The man ghosted across the floor, only occasionally visible, and swept into a high kick. When Shirou parried the man twisted, lifting his other leg to kick again, and gripped Vir, moving almost unnaturally until he stood atop the blade, anchoring it, and stretched for Shirou's head.

Vir disappeared. Shirou struck for the man's chest, but he faded, shadows swishing past, and his heart flickered into existence behind. Shirou ducked, backed up, and summoned Vir in a backhand position, stabbing.

The man rolled over Shirou and spun, sending the dark wind spiraling again, forcing Shirou back.

Vir transformed. Several energy arrows fired, striking at and around the man while he shifted through darkness. The Keyblade returned to normal and he charged, feinting right, left, the ultimately swinging right. _He'll dodge and try to catch my Keyblade again._ Shirou dismissed Vir, instead sliding a foot forward, hands together to force his opponent aside.

The shadow rolled, then disappeared, shadow streaming across the stained glass surface.

With his weapon reformed, he shot several arrows at the arrow, then ran, keeping his distance and firing shots. The gouts of darkness flared again, ringing around the area. One spawned just ahead; he didn't have time to stop, and instead lifted his arms and jumped, keeping his body as small as possible. An ice-cold, tingling pain shot through his senses and seared his open wounds. His breath hissed between his teeth. He landed, rolled, and righted himself.

The shadow had already appeared, claws swinging.

Instead of dodging Shirou allowed the blow to connect. He dragged the figure closer and jammed an elbow into his abdomen, then skidded forward and pulled, dragging the man past him, and finished by stabbing Vir into the man's cloak, stalling him. He grappled his opponent's arm behind his back.

The man chuckled. Darkness exploded around them.

Shirou screamed. Pain ripped through his veins and throat. He bit his lip, hard, and called Vir, swinging.

The darkness and figure disappeared. The man drifted slowly to land some distance away.

Shirou took a few deep breaths, lifted his weapon, and transformed it. He fired.

The figure moved, dashing away, teleporting.

Shirou smiled. He fired a few shots in regular fashion, then fired one several paces ahead.

The figure rematerialized directly in the arrow's path. He gasped, and disappeared again.

When his opponent appeared directly in front of him, Shirou swung, weapon still a bow, at the man's head, stringing and firing an arrow simultaneously.

The man rolled, faint tendrils appearing.

Shirou leapt away, firing several arrows, then returned Vir to normal.

The shadow stood, slowly, examined the ripped portion of his cloak, then turned his head towards Shirou. He sank into the ground.

Shirou's eyes narrowed. _He's not tiring. I need to try something different._

Vir seemed to hum in his hands.

 _Maybe—it's a long shot, but Sora_ did _say it could expel darkness._

The shadow reached him.

Shirou turned Vir point-down and activated his magic. "Purge!" He stabbed.

The shadow writhed but, unlike the light that appeared when Sora used his magic, nothing seemed the happen.

The figure emerged, looming before him. Something slammed across the link—cold and unnatural, but also somehow very familiar.

"You're trying to develop your own Purge spell, huh? Cute. But you're not the only one here with heart magic."

Abruptly the darkness coating the man's heart disappeared, and Shirou was overwhelmed by anger, fear, sadness, and a deep, consuming hunger. His mind burned. His vision blurred, replaced by countless images he couldn't place nor understand, there a moment and gone the next. His ears popped. A cacophony of sounds abruptly shifted to a dull ringing.

When Shirou came to he was sprawled across the ground, Vir gone, and his opponent standing a short distance away. A metallic taste filled his mouth, and when he spoke, his voice came out hoarse, his throat dry. " _You_ can use heart magic?"

"So now you want to talk." The figure tilted his head. "Heart magic can pierce a lot of barriers: the physical ones between two individuals, ones placed artificially, even ones between worlds. It's believed that heart magic was created in order to bring the worlds together. But like every weapon, it can be used in many ways. For example, control."

"You're a Heartless."

"I'm a memory of a Heartless."

Shirou grimaced.

"You should be very familiar with _memories_ , Shirou. You're living one. And the thing about memories is that they _fade_. The good, the bad. They affect the individual, but ultimately have little impact on the world around them. And if you're always living in memories, how can you change the future? You'll bring about the same result over and over again, and then just fade away to nothing, forgotten."

Shirou glared.

The figure knelt. "Fun fact: your friend Xion? She was completely forgotten when she died. It took Sora's heart magic and Namine's memory manipulation to bring any recollection of her back. I wonder what would happen if a memory were to die without their knowledge?"

Shirou licked his lips. "What do you want?"

The figure chuckled. "You and I aren't so different, Shirou. We're both indebted to the people who saved us. So. _You_ are a personal curiosity for me, but, ultimately, my goal is to break Sora."

Shirou tried to stand and failed.

"Incredible what heart magic can do in the right hands, isn't it?"

Shirou scrambled away, and summoned Vir, using it to force himself into a standing position.

The figure stalked towards him. "You are living in a dream. None of this matters—not to the world, not to the universe at large, and not for you. It's time you woke up."

"Purge!"

The figure hesitated, head cocked, then whipped around. "What?"

The Kingdom Key touched the shadow's chest. Light blossomed.

The shadow screamed, and the voice suddenly sounded familiar. Light pulled from the shadow's chest, dragging darkness, seeming to tear the man apart. He slashed, severing the link, and stumbled away, clutching his chest. "How?"

Shirou stared.

Sora stood taller. "It's something Riku helped me with a long time ago."

The shadow didn't move for several moments, then snorted, almost sadly. "Well. Guess I would've never known." He disappeared.

Sora raced towards his apprentice. "Are you okay?"

"I—how—is he—?"

"He's not dead, no. I don't know where he is, but he shouldn't be _here_ anymore."

Shirou blinked. "What happened?"

"You passed out. Kiritsugu tried using some healing magic and called an ambulance. I acted pretty rashly." He scratched his cheek. "I think we'll probably have some explaining to do."

"But how did you know?"  
Sora studied him a long moment, then sighed and glanced away. "He came and talked to me first. I'm not sure if his plan was to have me interfere, or just to have me watch." He shrugged. Shadows hovered in his eyes. "Maybe you should go back to the Land of Departure."

"No."

"But—" Sora fixed him with a wide, scared look. He took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes closed, and relaxed. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Shirou understood. "I'll be careful."

Sora's expression turned sad. "I don't know if that's enough."

Shirou almost asked what he meant, but the world began turning white.

Sora continued, "I'll see you on the other side."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _The two adults in the Saber-Rider team-up acted somewhat rashly in the last two chapters, like they wanted to make enemies. Shirou had Berserker pretty much handled._ – It was kind of a case of 'Here's our chance, let's take it and get them out of there.' Kiritsugu's a _little_ bit overprotective of Illya. _And as for Anti, somehow, somway, I don't feel like he really wants to hurt them. I mean sure, he feels broken and conical but not an actual bad guy. Actually reminds me a bit of EMIYA._ – Well, he has no _personal_ interest in hurting them and, if left to his own devices, would probably outright avoid them for the most part. However, because he feels indebted to the Puppet Master, he's going along with this until the end. He was actually included to be sort of a parallel to EMIYA, so I'm not surprised you're kind of getting that vibe!

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _You know, with the whole yellow eyes, Heartless being the darkness in ourselves we do not wish to accept, I would assume you are talking about the Shadow Aspect. As in Persona 4 Shadows._ – It's pretty similar, yeah. Sora's going to have some interesting times in the future…

 **ultima-owner:** _Anti-Sora is a problem that only Sora can put to rest, most likely he will need help but it's his memory given life._ – Basically. He's going to have to face his demons sooner or later.

 **Parks98:** _I really do wonder who will eventually die ? I mean it is a grail war and at least one person always gets murdered really badly._ – There are several in the future, actually, most of them Servants, but a few…not. And probably a few surprising survivors.

 **Galer:** _Also anti sora is some kin of anti-hero( less heroic) because he has the vibe of one._ – Anti- _villain_ is more accurate, since he's definitively an antagonist at the moment.

 _Have any comments or questions? Got any theories? Drop a review and let me know!_


	63. Discussions

_Here's chapter sixty – three! Thank you DPSS, ultima-owner, Galer, and Parks98 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Three: Discussions**

Emi looked towards Kairi and took a deep breath, trying to push uncertain thoughts from her mind. She bowed. "Your Majesty."

Kairi laughed. "Don't be so formal. Just 'Kairi' is fine." She gestured, smiling. "Shall we?"

The two walked towards the castle. People bustled about the street, selling wares or chatting. A few children rushed past, clashing wooden swords. Someone stopped to bow to Kairi, and she dipped her head. Others waved, but most continued with their business. The flowers waved in flowerbeds; small rivulets cut the streets, water running from them into the gardens.

"So," Kairi said, startling her, "you're a master now?"

"Y-yes."

"That's good. I'm sure you're excited to see the results of your hard work."

"Yeah." She glanced aside.

"You don't sound very sure."

"I am!" She straightened. "It's just a lot." Her voice fell flat, and she took another deep breath.

Kairi stopped, giving her a concerned look.

"S-so. The inter-world trade agreement?"

Kairi sighed and shook her head. She turned, and they continued. "It's going well. Right now we've got Atlantica, Olympus Coliseum, Twilight Town, Halloween Town, Beast's Castle, and Agrabah on board."

"Atlantica agreed?"

"King Triton's relaxed quite a lot, you know. Stitch had some connections who are willing to help police the Lanes Between. Aqua's been going back and forth with them and arranging things, but that should hopefully take some strain off you guys.

"Dwarf Woodlands, Enchanted Dominion, and Castle of Dreams were more skeptical, considering what happened. They've decided to stay out, for now, but hopefully we'll be able to convince them down the line." Kairi glanced back, a smile abruptly crossing her face. "Destiny Islands was more than willing to jump in, though! And Disney Castle, of course. We've got a few delegates from some worlds we aren't too familiar with visiting today. Roxas is entertaining them now. We'll see how this meeting goes, but I think it's the last we'll have for a while."

"Why?"

"The project's just starting. We don't want to strain ourselves too much at the beginning, even with the extra help we're getting. We don't know what problems we'll run into, either. We'll start with these, and see how things grow. Once everyone's settled and we have a system in place, we can start trying to contact other worlds." Kairi glanced skyward. "It'd be nice to have all the worlds connected again, one day, even if I won't be around to see it."

"Reveal the existence of different worlds to _everyone_?"

Kairi nodded. "There are a lot of stories about how our worlds began, but they all say the same thing: they were, at the very least, connected. Sora, Riku, and I learned how valuable our friendships in other worlds were in the Second Keyblade War. I believe it would be to everyone's benefit to break down the barriers we've made and start creating more of those." She stopped, turned, and gave Emi a broad smile. "And that's where you come in."

"Um, me?"

"Aqua said you were helping with negotiations, right? That wasn't entirely true. Well, it is, in a way—you'll still be the voice for Keybearers with these new representatives. However, what I'm asking you to do is something much bigger." She paused, making sure she had Emi's eyes. "I want you to take responsibility for the Keyblader part of this equation. You'll be an ambassador, of sorts. You'll go along with merchants in the trade routes and learn about them, and then, when we start reaching out to other worlds, you'll be one of the first faces they see. You'll be in charge of training new Keybladers who will join you."

"I'll be in _charge_ of all this?"

"After a while, yes. If you accept. I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to do this. Roxas is willing, too."

"Why not him in the first place?"

"He's avoided any contact with your order for personal reasons. He doesn't know as much about how you work." Kairi offered a gentle smile. "You don't have to decide right away. Give it some thought. In the meantime, let's go and meet the representatives."

Emi nodded, still reeling, a part of her mind squawking that _she_ couldn't do this—she still wasn't confident about her balance between light and darkness, still didn't feel brave enough, strong enough, _ready_ enough.

But, she reminded herself, there was a reason Riku took her on as an apprentice.

She shook her head. They approached the castle. Two guards nodded as they passed. Kairi returned the gesture, and together they entered the castle, traversing the hallways towards the designated 'meeting room.'

The room hadn't likely served the purpose originally; while large, elements that suggested it used to be a small lab—white boards and a microscope still stored under a sink in the corner—littered the area. The desks had been replaced by a single large one, chairs positioned around. A few pictures hung from the walls, and large vases hemmed the doorways. The room could comfortably house about twenty people, which seemed more than enough for Kairi's purposes, for the moment.

Leon, Yuffie, and Roxas stood in the room with two strangers: a cat-like woman wearing blue garb, a large hat, and keeping an erect posture, hands folded behind her back, and a younger, darker skinned girl, a necklace draped around her neck, wearing more tribal clothes. They all glanced their way upon entering.

Leon snorted. "About time."

Roxas stepped aside. "Captain Amelia, Chief Moana, this is Kairi, ruler of Radiant Garden, and Emi, a Keyblade Master."

Kairi dipped her head. "Thank you, Roxas." She stepped towards the table. "How's your visit been so far?"

"Great," Moana replied. "Your world's really fascinating."

Amelia said, "But let's get to the point. You called us here to create a trade route?"

"That's right. You've been given a run-down of the existence of different worlds, right?"

Both nodded.

"Then you also know that each world is unique. They have different cultures, peoples, and crafts. Trade can help many worlds obtain goods they wouldn't be able to otherwise, and vice versa. Moreover, this could create a chance to learn about other places, and hopefully foster a longer-lasting peace between the worlds."

Amelia said, "So we've been told. I believe the idea is interesting. Our 'world,' as you call it, is comprised of several planets, and engaging with them in trade has been beneficial. However, there are still details that need to be discussed. For example, do you have solutions for language barriers and currency?"

"Most of the worlds currently part of the trade agreement already speak common. For the moment, we have two Keybearers," she nodded to Roxas and Emi, "who can help translate and change currency. We're currently working on creating and establishing an actual money exchange system here in Radiant Garden, and have several people being interviewed for the position already. You can also trade items for other items to help simplify the process. If you're willing, we'd like to send mages with travel crews, in order to teach translation spells and help translate until everyone is self-sustaining."

Amelia looked skeptical.

Moana shot her a glance, then asked, "The pathways between worlds are called the Lanes Between, right? What's the best way to travel them, for those of us unfamiliar? When Roxas brought me here, it seemed like there wasn't an easy way to access them with a…Keyblade?"

"We plan on bringing the other Keyblade Masters here to help teach you. The Lanes have been a lot more fluid in recent years, and so, with some work, we should be able to create open pathways for anyone—or any ships." She smiled. "We also have a few experts on the subject who'll be helping. And, actually, that problem is part of the reason we contacted you two."

Amelia raised an eyebrow, while Moana's eyes widened.

"Captain Amelia, you already have experience navigating the space in your own world, and Chief Moana, you the oceans of yours. What is space but a larger ocean?" Her voice took a wistful note, and Emi remembered that Kairi had grown up on Destiny Islands, not the world she now ruled.

Moana dipped her head. "Okay. But there's one major concern."

"These 'Heartless,'" Amelia growled. "I have dealt with pirates and criminals of all sorts, but from the sound of it these are different beats altogether."

Moana added, "I've faced monsters in my travels before. I'd like to know what I'm facing and how to fight them before putting my people in danger."

"Of course." Kairi paused. "They are dangerous, and the biggest threat to opening up the pathways between the worlds. They traverse them freely. However, we can modify ships to fight them. Moreover, on worlds, we have a special weapon." Kairi beckoned Emi forward.

Amelia eyed her. "Yes, and that's another thing—why does the weapon most effective against these creatures beckon them? Wouldn't we be signing our own death warrants?"

Emi glanced frantically towards Kairi.

The woman gestured, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I—" She turned back to Amelia, sweat beading on her neck, her chest tightening. _Relax. Focus._ She took a deep breath. Amelia's look wasn't accusing, nor her tone; instead, it seemed curious, if wary. _Convince her._ "T-the greatest light always attracts the greatest darkness."

"Hmm?"

Emi summoned her weapon, startling the two visitors. She held it, staring at the hilt, rather than her audience. "I-I used to be terrified of the Heartless. They, um, they nearly—they destroyed my world. I almost became one. But this weapon helps me fight them." Her grip tightened. "It attracts them both because it's a sign of a strong heart and because they _fear_ it. The Heartless will exist, even without the Keyblade, because everyone has darkness. But so long as we have light to cut through it," she swished her weapon, finally meeting Amelia's gaze, "we can combat it. Without that, we lose."

Amelia didn't react, studying her.

Emi quivered, but held her gaze.

Moana said, "Alright. I'll take it back to my tribe, and we'll talk it over. I'm sure some people would love to explore the stars, myself included. But we'll want to make sure things are settled better first."

Amelia turned her attention towards Kairi.

Emi backed away, releasing her Keyblade and taking a deep, shuddering breath.

Roxas whispered, "You did good."

She jumped, then nodded, ducking her head. "I just, um, spoke from my heart."

"Pretty appropriate."

She fidgeted. "So, um, why are you here? Does Aqua know?"

"Not yet. But she will soon." He sighed. "I'm not excited about it, but since I'm helping with this, I'd probably better let her know."

"She'll be angry."

"I know." He grimaced. "Hopefully enough time's passed that she doesn't still see Ven."

Emi winced. "Does that ever, um, bother you?"

Roxas side-eyed her. "Sometimes. When I first found out, I was angry and scared. Everything I'd ever been belonged to someone else, not me. But eventually I found my own identity." He paused. "I guess 'remembered' my own identity, actually. I'd already created a personality and existence all my own."

"With Axel and Xion?"

He paused. "Yeah."

Emi shifted, recalling that this man—this Nobody, she supposed—had lost a lot throughout his lifetime, and would never truly be able to get all of it back. "Do you wish you could change things?"

"No. At least, not anymore. I've made my peace. Besides, my life's not so bad." He focused on her more directly. "And you? Would you go back?"

She shook her head.

"What about for your future? I know Kairi's already asked you to help with the trade route."

"I don't know. I've only ever really thought of being a Keyblade Master."

Roxas snorted. "Sounds like Sora's apprentice."

Emi started. "E-eh?"

"Shirou was questioning his future, too, not too long ago. I'm not sure what he decided, but he left with Sora, so hopefully he's figured it out."

"Shirou was _here_?" Emi barely managed to keep her voice level.

"What's wrong?"

"He's supposed to be exploring another world." She looked away, gripping her arms tightly behind her back. _So they_ aren't _there. But then, where did they go?_

* * *

 _Actually there's a lot more than trade agreements happening in this chapter. Fun fact: Monsters Inc. and Atlantis were also possibly choices for the other worlds. (Watch, I say they don't know these worlds, and they'll probably appear in KH3…) Anywho, review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _You know, I think this is the first time where we see that Shirou's training was actually efective. Like, it seriously makes you look at it and think "Wow, Shirou can actually do that much with just a sword and a bow?"._ – Haha, hey, have to establish that sometime.

 **ultima-owner:** _that is the sad truth of the world. Everything that can be use to help can be used to hurt. the same is true vis versa._ – Indeed. That latter point is important.

 **Galer:** _is this is like persona probably sora is goint to get a tarot card probably the fool_ – I mean…it's not _exactly_ like Persona, so no tarot cards involved. (Unless this was part of the joke and it went over my head…?) _one quiestion Shirou is gonna get his reality marvel because i got the sensation that his reality marvel would be like Iskander s( alexander the great)_ – I'll say that Shirou never actively manifests a Reality Marble…and that's all I'll say on it.

 **Parks98:** _Really love how we see this version of shirou fight and I swear if a version of Shirou lived on Remnant (RWBY) his weapon would honestly be just like Vir (you really should link Vir and the other weapons you drew on your Bio)._ – Actually, yeah, I could see that. Also, that's a good idea, and has now been done. Thanks!

 _Any thoughts or comments? Let me know with a review!_


	64. Still the Same

_Here's chapter sixty – four! Thank you RedRat8, Parks98, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Four: Still the Same**

Shirou awoke to familiar voices.

"Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yeah."

"How long before he wakes up."

"I don't know. I don't think it'll be—"

"I'm awake." He groaned and opened his eyes.

Sora and Illya clustered close to him, Kiritsugu, Rin, Saber, and Rider standing a little further away. Sora flashed a relieved smile, while Illya beamed.

Rin tapped her fingers crossly. "You're okay?"

"Y-yes? I think."

"Good." She straightened. "Now can someone please explain what the _hell_ is going on?"

Everyone stared.

Sora sighed, rubbing his neck.

Shirou blinked, then turned to Sora and asked, "I'm in the hospital, aren't I?" The blue-tinged walls and sterile environment pinged in the back of his memory.

"Yeah. The ambulance brought you here, but they couldn't wake you up." Sora shrugged, his eyes flickering knowingly.

"Hey!" Rin protested. "That's enough. Talk."

Sora sighed again. "Yeah. I guess just disappearing in a flash of light isn't normal. Is it?" He raised an eyebrow.

None of the others answered.

Sora glanced away, then summoned the Kingdom Key. "I don't know if Shirou told you or not, but this is called a Keyblade. It's a weapon that has an intimate connection to the wielder's heart. It can unlock any lock and allow access into any place—including, because of its nature, the hearts of others."

Illya flashed Shirou a glance. "So when you disappeared, you went into Shirou's heart?"

"Yeah. There was a guy attacking him internally. I dove into Shirou's heart to force him out."

"And why, exactly, was someone attacking Shirou's heart? Did he have a 'Keyblade,' like you guys?" Rin narrowed her eyes. "Who are you, really?"

Sora and Shirou exchanged glances.

Shirou met his mentor's eyes, then answered, "We are warriors trained to protect the worlds from darkness."

This afforded them several blank stares—save from Rin, whose expression remained agitated, and Saber, who suddenly straightened.

While Shirou puzzled at her reaction, Sora responded, "That's really oversimplifying things, but in a nutshell, yeah. There are a lot of worlds out there, not just this one. It's going to take some explaining."

Rin said, "I have time."

Kiritsugu sighed. "I suppose we _all_ should hear this."

Sora nodded. "Okay. Long ago, there was a light called Kingdom Hearts, and a single key to open it, known as the X-Blade. While both weapon and light were sealed away, a man known as the Master of Masters saw a future where blood was shed over it. He created the Keyblades in the X-blade's image, drawing them from the hearts of wielders, and gave them to six apprentices. Five of those used a similar technique to pass the power along to other wielders. But they still feared that dark future, and eventually that brought them into conflict. Many died. But some lived on, flung into the future to continue passing down the Keyblade, in the hopes of keeping light alive and stopping complete destruction."

Rin said, "This sounds like a fairytale."

"A little bit, yeah." Sora scratched his cheek. "I don't know all the details." Something flickered in his eyes. "However, the basic point is that the Keyblade is meant to protect the fragmented worlds from the fallout of that great war—the Heartless, physical manifestations of the darkness in people's hearts. They're very dangerous, and the most effective weapon against them—and the only thing that can set their hearts free and perhaps save them—is the Keyblade.

"Wielders have dwindled recently. There aren't a lot of us, but we've seen what happens when Keybladers disappear." He paused.

Rin asked, "Such as?"

"Worlds are swallowed." Sora clasped his hands. "My home fell victim to that. It's what made me a Keybearer in the first place, in a way. My friends and I were still very young, and we didn't know what we were doing, and we had no right to saving the worlds—but we did anyways."

Maybe she heard the sincerity in his voice, or maybe she was just relaxing into the tale, but regardless, Rin's expression softened.

Saber said, voice calm, focused, "And Shirou? He is your adopted son. Is he also your apprentice?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. He came from this world. I accidentally passed the Keyblade on to him. We've been training for a long time."

"So was this man another Keybearer, or one of those 'Heartless'?"

Sora gave a crooked grin. "Heartless." He glanced aside.

Shirou touched Sora's heart. An uncomfortableness weighed there—an understanding, fear, guilt and almost resignation.

Shirou almost asked about it, then stopped, clamping his mouth shut.

"Have you met this man before?"

Sora hesitated. "In a way." Sora looked towards Kiritsugu. "I'm guessing this is the guy you warned me about."

Kiritsugu started. Something dark settled over his features.

Saber cast him an unreadable look, then said, "I ask because we met someone who mentioned 'other worlds.' The last War's Archer survived."

Kiritsugu didn't react much; he closed his eyes tightly. "Another variable to account for."

Saber asked, "Could he have learned that from this man?"

"It's possible." Sora whistled. "That'd be a problem."

Saber didn't react, her face impassive.

Shirou thought, _I wish I could figure out what she's feeling._ Out of habit he activated his heart magic. A familiar barrier prevented his entry.

 _Saber stood beside him, facing down the fake priest in the church's basement, emaciated bodies surrounding them._

A foreign emotion and heart flickered on his consciousness, filled with determination and practicality, but something sadder, more desperate hidden underneath.

Pain shot through Shirou's head and chest. He jerked, holding his head.

Sora braced him. "Easy."

Kiritsugu said, "Maybe we'd better not wear him out. We've still got Saber and Lancer's battle to prepare for, two days from now."

Rin gave Kiritsugu an irritated look, then said, "Fine. But I'm not done interrogating _you_ , Sora."

Rider said, "Give the guy a break. Probably pretty worried about his apprentice, right? You can bug them later."

Saber nodded, turning to leave. "We will return later." She left, the other filing out slowly after, passing along various well-wishes.

After a while only Sora remained, still sitting by his bed.

Shirou asked, "Do I need to still be here?"

"Hmm?" Sora sighed. "Probably not. There's nothing they can do for you that we can't."

Shirou turned to him. "Did you know him?"

Sora met his gaze, then looked away.

Shirou's fists balled into the sheet. "I see."

"He's—" Sora took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "You won't like it."

Shirou waited, quiet.

"He's me." Sora's voice came out quiet, strained. His eyes squeezed a little tighter closed. His whole form sank.

Shirou's eyes widened. "How?"

"He's a memory of someone I could've been."  
"Like Xion."

"Not exactly. Xion was _made of_ memories. This man—Heartless, I guess—is an actual memory, pulled from a world by the Puppet Master to get back at me."

"Why? What he was doing was wrong."

Sora gave him a crooked, sad smile. "The Puppet Master's a sad man. I don't think he ever wanted to share his abilities, and when he was locked away, well." Sora shrugged, the smile falling. "He's right about one thing: we aren't as different as I thought."

Shirou frowned and started to protest.

Sora laughed. "No, really. I've made mistakes, and I've made bad choices that I should regret but don't." He met his gaze. "He's using this 'Anti Sora' to rub my faults in my face. I can't deny them. This is still _me_ , if things had happened differently. Even if this version took a darker path, and took things to an extreme, I still see my faults reflected in him."

Shirou's throat tightened.

"I'm—still a Heartless." The words came out stilted, pained. "It's unprecedented, you know, a _Heartless_ wielding a Keyblade. But if I hadn't had the people I did—if I hadn't experienced what I had—" Sora took a deep breath. "I'm going to have to face him, eventually, and things much greater, and I don't know how ready I am for that." Sora shook his head. "Sorry. I shouldn't be burdening you with this."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. I'm the adult. I should handle my own problems, not pass them along to my apprentice." He winced.

"That's not how it—"

"The problem is they've already been passed on to you. This man will attack you with no other purpose than to hurt me. And—and there are others, in this world, who would like to see you dead." Sora shook his head. "I don't want anyone else—any more of my loved ones—to be in danger because of me."

Shirou didn't know how to respond for a few moments. Eventually said, "It's my choice."

Sora snorted. "Yeah. I know." He stood. "Just don't try anything too heroic, alright? We still need you here."

Shirou thought of the boy he'd once been—the one who'd been so desperate to make his master proud, who wanted to be a great Keyblader like Sora, who wanted nothing more than to help his parental figure—and to the young man he was now, who felt he had a duty to the people of this world he'd called home in a past he couldn't remember, to the nightmares that still walked through his daydreams.

 _Do you know who you are anymore?_

 _Did you ever?_

His fists tightened.

"I'll let you rest." Sora left.

Shirou's shoulders sunk, suddenly lonely in the vaguely-familiar hospital room, ghost of the past still hanging over him.

 **-Sora** left the room, rubbing his neck, heaviness settling deep in his chest.

"So," Saber said, "that's who this man is."

Sora started. "What are _you_ still doing here?"

"I need time away. I hadn't intended to eavesdrop until I heard Shirou's question."

"So you heard pretty much everything, huh?"

Saber didn't answer for several moments. "I understand what it's like to have regrets. My kingdom fell because I never truly led my people. I had one hope to save them, but it was taken from me." Saber met his gaze, expression suddenly fierce. "But you have the opportunity to fix your mistakes, do you not?"

"It's not exactly that simple. I can never _go back_ and undo things. I don't even know if it'd be good to try. I wouldn't be me—I wouldn't know the people I do now—if I'd done things differently."

Saber held his gaze a long moment. "I see." She looked aside, eyes narrowed in thought. "Sora. You are an experienced swordsman?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need a sparing partner. Rider is a familiar face, and yet I'm not sure I wish to practice with another Knight of the Round just yet."

Sora stared a few moments, then slowly smiled. "Sure. I'd be happy to help."

* * *

 _And more people are now officially in the know! Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _I do wonder how they make that worlds thing work._ – You mean the actual traveling between? It'll be teaching them how to open the Lanes, mostly…and then gradually introducing other places to the concept of multiple worlds…

 **Parks98:** _Oh my gosh we got Treasure Planet and Moana! Loved T.P. when I was younger I mean even if it doesn't really make sense (I mean able to escape out of a black hole and breath in space...wtf) but then again it's disney so they can ignore a few laws of the universe._ – Haha, yep! I figured the two would be a good fit for this. For me, there were some parts that I really liked in _Treasure Planet_ , and some I didn't, but I also haven't seen it in quite a while.

 **ultima-owner:** _Inter-world trade is an idea that has merit. They'll have Cid working overtime to get the ships ready for what ever tries to attack them._ – Haha, yep. While he fully supports the idea and is probably secretly excited to try making/altering these things, he's also probably grumbling about how much work he suddenly has.

 **Galer:** _you are progresin whit the world buildidng color me impres_ – Thanks! Part of the goal with the KH-based chapters is to expand a bit on the Keyblade and multiverse and how it works. _also you think taht events of fate grand order could happent in this fanon universe?_ – In this particular timeline? Probably not. In a different one? Sure. _in what servant class the cahracters of Kingdom heart would be ?_ – I feel like a lot of them would fall under the Saber class because of their Keyblades, and possibly Caster because of their magic. Aqua, Terra, and Ven could also qualify as Rider ( _maybe_ Archer for Aqua, considering what her glider looks like?), and potentially Archer for Sora, considering the only Keyblade transformation we've seen so far. Donald would primarily be Caster, and I'm…not really sure for Goofy, if we're only taking the traditional seven.

 _Have any thoughts or comments? Drop a review and let me know!_


	65. Sword and Spear

_Here's chapter sixty – five! Thank you RedRat8, ultima-owner, Parks98, Galer, and Kiri Kaitou Clover for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Five: Sword and Spear**

Saber waited in the park. The sun hovered low on the horizon, a small red-orange line separating the darkening sky and ground. Street lamps flickered. No one wandered the area.

Rin stood just behind her, tense, watching. Rider had opted to remain behind; the others stood arrayed some distance away, Sora watching with concern, Shirou's expression thoughtful, Kiritsugu impassive, and Illya almost determined.

Saber clutched Excalibur tighter. She didn't know what the outcome of tonight's battle would be—perhaps Lancer would strike her down, or she him, or perhaps they'd both survive and gain a potential ally.

 _And then? What is the point of going forward now?_

 _"The past has made me who I am."_

Rin said, "They're here."

Saber shook her head and focused.

Bazett walked towards them, Lancer strolling behind. The Servant twirled his spear. "I see you've brought quite the crowd."

"They won't interfere. They merely want to see the outcome."

Lancer inclined his head.

Bazett asked, "And the overseer? Do we have access?"

"We'll _make_ access," Rin informed her.

Bazett raised an eyebrow. "Good enough. Lancer."

The Servant sprang.

Saber moved on instinct, sword sweeping upwards. The two weapons clanging and, arms shaking, the warriors glared.

Lancer grinned. "Let's have some fun."

Saber shouted, "Rin, get back!"

The girl was already backing away from the clash.

Lancer drew away and swung, spinning his weapon in a flurry of strikes, twirling to hit with the top of the shaft, the bottom, spinning it to try and manipulate her sword, attempting to avoid a parry with a stab.

Saber met each blow, parrying carefully and waiting for an opening.

Lancer paused, arm drawn back, point poised.

Mana pulsed through her feet. Saber kicked off, sword prepared to stab.

Lancer caught her blade with his spear's shaft and jumped away.

Saber sent a brief, powerful gust of wind, hoping to knock him off balance, then followed the spearman's retreat. She took the offensive, swinging rapidly towards Lancer's head, his midsection, while Lancer's spear flashed and parried, constantly moving backwards. Saber swept low, aiming for his legs.

Lancer leapt, jumping far back, then planted himself and lunged, spear striking.

Saber tilted her head and ducked, sliding beneath the weapon, and released another burst of air.

Lancer leapt, flipping, and swung.

Saber blocked and maneuvered the other Servant over her, skidding away.

Lancer landed, and the two repositioned themselves, watching warily.

Saber narrowed her eyes. _He's fast, and has yet to show the full extent of his Noble Phantasm._ Her eyes flicked, very briefly, to a copse of trees. _Perhaps I can slow him down._

Lancer twirled his spear, bracing it.

Saber stood a little straighter, moving in a slow circle.

Lancer lifted an eyebrow but watched her, never leaving his ready position.

Saber kicked off, prana fueling her flight, weapon drawn.

Lancer drew his spear back, preparing, Saber supposed, to strike and follow her weapon straight to her body.

She feinted, dodging wide and avoiding Lancer's swing, making a beeline for the trees. She knew Lancer would catch her before she'd ever reached the tree line. She turned, skidding, and released a burst of air, creating a clean funnel.

When Lancer leapt, Saber was ready, moving far left when Lancer passed her head, circling him while he chased.

The spearman reached her, weapon flashing crimson, and their attacks clanged, repeated strikes creating faint sparks. Saber kept her movements small, crisp, parrying a swing towards her midsection and dragging her weapon along the spear, then sweeping low and ducking when the weapon pulled away and stabbed, spinning aside and parrying when the spear's shaft dropped low and swung.

Lancer spun his weapon and caught the end, swinging the bottom, then using it as a base to leap over her.

Saber struck the weapon, spinning around simultaneously.

Lancer faltered, but caught himself quickly, blocking Saber's strike. The two remained locked for a few moments, struggling, before Lancer disengaged, feinting right.

Saber sprang close to Lancer, sword ready, only to slide aside at the last minute, avoiding a sweeping blow to her midsection. She spun around and leapt back while Lancer pursued, a shallow wound dripping blood along his side.

Saber continued her retreat, allowing Lancer to gain ground, parrying his blows, then abruptly lunging, kicking close, sword drawn back, to strike beneath his guard.

Lancer jerked backwards.

Saber finished her strike—short, due to Lancer's dodge—then disappeared into the trees.

Darkness hemmed her. She took a few deep breaths.

 _Does it truly do you any good to win this battle? Either way, you are back to the beginning. There is no longer an ending for you._

Saber's grip tightened. She remained wary, moving quickly, watching the trees.

"Heh," came an amused snort, "I'm not sure the trees were your best choice."

Saber whipped around, sending air flurrying skyward. Wood splintered.

A shape leapt, something glinting faintly.

Saber swept around the tree, weaving between the trunks, keeping one eye on the flashing spear. Her opponent's weapon spun, a blur as she parried. She side-stepped and moved around a tree, using it to guard her from Lancer's strike. The other Servant followed her, and she lunged. She took the offensive, weapon flashing, stabbing, quickly dragging Excalibur down to avoid a parry, cutting quickly towards Lancer's stomach, her blow abruptly directed to nick his thigh. She feinted, first aiming low then maneuvering towards his chest.

Lancer leapt aside, form a blur as he struck.

Saber parried, but her instincts screamed a warning.

The lance slid easily away and struck a tree beside her, hard. The tip flashed, quicker than expected, and Saber ducked. The end scratched her cheek. Splinters scattered her face. Pain flared through her eyes, and she screwed them shut, sliding away. She rubbed her eyes. Blurred images fluttered in front of her. _A careless mistake._

Only her instincts saved her. Wind rushed towards her. She parried, protecting her chest, hoping her armor would serve her well. The weapon deflected, and instead pierced her shoulder. She gasped. Pain flared through her arm. Wet blood coated her dress and stained her armor.

"Hmmph," Lancer said. "You can't be done yet, can you?"

Saber hardly heard him. Her mind, momentarily, had drifted elsewhere, back to a field filled with corpses, torn banners waving, a blood-red sky reflecting the blood of her soldiers. If she'd been able to move from that hill, she would've been able to name them, one by one.

Arturia used her sword as a crutch, staring without seeing. _Was it worth it? To fight to protect my kingdom, when fighting only led to its downfall?_

 _But._

In her mind's eye, Dinadan looked at her, sad and concerned. Lancelot fell, but, despite everything, assured her they'd respected her as king.

The thought came, unwanted, unexpected: _Do I have the chance to try again now, with new faces, and be the person I could not be? Do I have the unique chance to stop another disaster?_

The image blurred and shifted.

Saber's eyes, still burning, opened and focused.

 _That hill is not where I am now._

The lance pulled slowly from her shoulder.

Her weapon flashed, knocking it high.

She thought Lancer's eyes might have widened; regardless she pressed forward, swinging to cut towards his neck.

Lancer dodged, swinging his spear.

Saber parried, locking the weapon to the ground, and swept her sword up its length, towards his chest.

Lancer freed his spear, released it, and spun it around Saber's blade, dodging at the last minute and stabbing.

Saber parried, again locking the spear.

The spearman released, swinging to kick.

Saber dodged, righting herself. Her vision slowly cleared.

 _Saber!_ Rin shouted through their link. _Is everything alright?_

 _Yes. Don't worry, Rin. I will not lose this fight._

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. She drew away from the link.

Saber tensed, readying her blade.

Lancer grinned, then moved, tearing the ground, weapon making quick stabs at her chest, her neck, her stomach, each blow parried with practiced care.

Saber swept upward, cutting beneath Lancer's armpit.

He maneuvered his spear to block, teeth glinting with a fierce, delighted smile, and angled his spear inward.

Saber swept his legs from beneath him, slashed towards his face.

Lancer kept falling, dodging the blow, and skidded on his knees, returning gracefully to his feet and jumping quickly back into the fray.

A flurry of blows followed, stirring the air and cracking the trees, shattering the ground beneath them. Their weapons blurred into undiscernible shapes, quickly blocking and striking and shifting. Saber received a new scratch just beneath her eye, her armor helping to deflect most blows; Lancer obtained a long, shallow gash across his chest and a nick on his chin.

Saber separated first, weaving between the trees, backwards, while Lancer followed. Her opponent dodged easily, sliding across the ground, and so Saber slipped in a circle around one trunk, then abruptly kicked forward, catching the other Servant as he barreled around the corner. She forced him back, pressing him against a tree, weapons locked momentarily until Saber, feet still firmly planted, disengaged and swung quickly towards Lancer's waist.

Lancer parried, keeping his movements as small as possible, but he was at a disadvantage while pressed into such a small space, unable to extend his reach. A small bead of sweat trickled down his cheek, but he offered a very small smile. He ducked and lunged.

Saber side-stepped, swinging her weapon low, but the movement allowed her opponent to slide by. She aimed an attack, made a quick turn, and pressed, knocking the spear sideways with a quick flick of the blade.

Lancer recovered quickly and spun his weapon, parrying her blow and sliding easily into a stab that glanced her side, deflected by armor.

Saber gripped Excalibur with both hands, aiming towards the spearman's heart, but found her blade misdirected, and instead allowed her momentum to carry her around, aiming to corner Lancer a second time. When the spearman moved away she instead tried to circle behind, using a tree again as a shield, ducking low into a sliding lunge for the stab she knew was coming.

The spear abruptly dropped low, smacking her side and sending her flying. She rolled, then caught herself, returning to her feet.

Lancer took advantage of the opening, moving in, extending his reach but staying out of hers, the tip of his spear rapidly jabbing at every opening it could find.

Saber parried, eyes narrowed, mind whirling. _I need to close the distance and disarm him._ Her grip tightened. She applied a small amount of prana to her feet and lunged, swinging, while Lancer jumped free.

Lancer leapt again, this time balancing, crouched, on a branch. "Not often I get to spar like this."

"Then why don't you come down, and we can finish?"

Lancer cocked his head and sighed. "Well, my Master's getting a bit impatient. Guess our fun's over. But it was nice fighting you, Saber." He braced his spear.

 _He's going to use his Noble Phantasm._ She built prana in her feet.

Lancer jumped.

Saber waited, watching, wind whirling a little faster around her invisible blade.

Lancer's foot touched the ground.

 _Now!_ The prana burst sent her flying, earth flying behind. At this distance, however, even the boost wouldn't help her make it in time.

Lancer got into position.

Her instinct screamed a warning. She sent air spiraling from her blade, releasing Excalibur's concealment, the weapon glowing golden. _If I use just a fraction of its power, then—_

"Gae—"

Light flared at her sword's tip. She stabbed, sending the small, concentrated beam across the expanse, light burning the ground, tearing the air. The coated Lancer's face and body.

"Bol—"

The lancer flew from his hand, the brief, bright attack knocking it, spinning, into the air. Lancer cast it a look, flashed Saber a more alarmed one, and made to jump.

With a final burst Saber reached him just as he moved, sword drawn back, and for a few moments it seemed the world had slowed, Lancer's expression shifting from surprised to grim admiration, Saber's sword moving slowly towards its point of impact.

Then time restarted, and she knocked her opponent down, sword braced against his neck, pinning him to the ground. A faint trickle of blood dribbled down his neck.

They remained silent a few moments, the only sound their panting and the quiet rustle of leaves.

Saber inclined her head. "It's over, Lancer."

"Heh. Looks so."

"Perhaps we could fight again sometime. You are a powerful fighter, for an Irishman."

Lancer stared a few moments, a smile slowly stretching his features. "You're letting me live, huh? Sure that's smart?"

"Our aim is to stop the Grail from being summoned."

"Alright. I'm not complaining."

Saber moved her blade away.

Lancer collected his weapon and rested in languidly. "Well, I'm sure out Masters' are waiting. Mine's already bugging me about how I'm doing."

"Indeed." Saber allowed a small smile, and the two left the trees.

* * *

 _And now Lancer and Saber have had their battle. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Wow, talk about getting punched while you're kicked down Sora._ – Indeed.

 **ultima-owner:** _The master of masters knowing or not caused the war in the first place. He caused a predestination paradox._ – That's a good way to describe it, yeah. Still not entirely sure what side that guy's on…

 **Parks98:** _Like the fact that this chapter FINALLY told the magi about different worlds and keyblades but...it feels a little small don't you think? I mean sure their will be more explanations later but being told that someone came from a diffferent world and is basically the equivalent of the universes protectors or guardians is kinda big._ – Yeah, the shortness was…mostly due to time. Rin, though, hasn't exactly accepted all this as 'truth' yet, and will definitely be bugging people about it in the coming chapters.

 **Galer:** _soo what would happen if the heroic spirit (any) goes autside of his world and explore the oter worlds_ – Depends. If it's them in their actual lives, then their stories would obviously be changed greatly, and would, as you mentioned, make the world actually quite upset. If it's them as a Heroic Spirit, they're actually tethered to the world, so it takes a lot for them to actually be able to leave it. If it's them after they've become a Heroic Spirit but they've been given a physical form or had that tether severed, then, repercussions from the severing aside, they could basically explore at will without consequence. _What is your opinion of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden_ – I don't mind them, but I kind of stopped following the stories a while ago, so there's little I can actually give as opinion anymore.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _This whole time I was wondering what was up with Sora, and I did forget that without Roxas, he technically is a Heartless who managed to gain a body and retain his sense of self. Also I see parts of the KHUx lore made it in Sora's explanation._ – Yep! I mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but I thought it bore mentioning it again here, since he's actually facing a 'true' Heartless version of himself and is being forced to acknowledge who he could have been. As of KHUx, I figured it'd be a good idea to include some of the things they probably know—while leaving a lot of room for legend and myth to take hold.

 _Did the battle go as you expected? Let me know in a review!_


	66. Faded Connections

_Here's chapter sixty – six! Thank you parks98, RedRat8, BlazeStryker, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Six: Faded Connections**

Shirou squinted, glancing towards the trees. He'd extended his heart magic as far as he could, and, vaguely, sensed their hearts moving. "They're coming this way."

Rin shot him a glance.

The two Servants appeared a moment later, moving slowly towards them.

Bazett straightened. "So that's how it is."

Sora asked, "They're finished? Both are alright?"

Kiritsugu answered, "It appears so. They must've come to some sort of accord."

Illya beamed.

Rin's expression remained impassive, though Shirou thought he saw a flicker of relief across her face.

Saber and Lancer stopped a few short paces away from them. "So," Lancer said, "battle's over. Saber won."

A smile quirked Bazett's lips. "I suppose that means you expect a ceasefire, now?"

"Hey, I'm not the Master. But I won't complain if we're allowed to have a few more friendly spars later."

Bazett nodded, then turned to Rin. "And you're sure you'll be able to help us get into the church?"

Rin nodded. "I'm not sure why you're so interested in finding that fake priest, though."

Shirou considered activating his heart magic, but hesitated, visions of the strange, shadowy man flitting through his mind. He withdrew a pace.

"I'll discuss it with you later. Presumably we'll meet to talk over details?"

"Yeah, that's fine. But we have one major hurdle to get over first."

Bazett raised an eyebrow.

"The Archer from last War is still around." Rin's hands clenched. "He's taken up residence in the Church."

Bazett's eyes widened, then narrowed. "So that's why you spared Lancer."

Saber shook her head. "We have no desire to hasten the Grail's summoning. Archer's survival merely complicates issues."

Lancer rested his weapon across his shoulders. "How did a Servant survive beyond the War?"

No one answered.

Rin straightened. "We're going to need to get rid of him to really talk to the overseer."

Bazett studied her. "I don't like being coerced into this."

"I'm not. We're facing him regardless. But if we lose, you're chances aren't as good."

Saber said, "I can confirm he's a formidable fighter. It would be better to have more Servants and take him down quickly, rather than wait and face him one-by-one."

The other Servant-Master pair exchanged glances. "Very well," Bazett conceded. "We'll meet you back here tomorrow to discuss strategies."

 **-"So,"** Illya asked, "what about the Matou's?"

The group had congregated around Kiritsugu's table. Rider remained a short distance away, watching, his gaze continuously flicking over to Saber, whose face remained impassive.

Shirou's fingers twitched, then curled into his pant leg. "There's something strange in her heart." He gave Illya a curious glance. "Some sort of worm? You never explained that."

Illya huffed. "You were still in the hospital."

Rin asked, "In her heart?" Her frigid gaze met Shirou's. "That to do with your 'Keyblade'?"

Shirou winced.

Sora said quickly, "It's a special type of magic. We can sense emotions, if our magic is activated, and sometimes glean other things, too."

"I see. So you can intrude where you aren't wanted, too."

Shirou lowered his head. For the first time he wondered if it'd really been a good idea to come. _It has to be worth it._

"And how do we know you aren't lying? You might be very good at reading body language. Or—if you _are_ telling the truth—how do we know you can't manipulate us into believing whatever you want?"

An uncomfortable silence settled. Kiritsugu broke it. "We can worry about the details later." He gave the two Keybladers a meaningful look. "Let's focus on the task at hand."

Rider sighed, rubbing his head and looking away. "There really was no sign of Sakura anywhere in that building. I tried talking to Shinji, but that just nearly got me brutalized by Berserker."

Rin said quietly, "So she's missing."

Saber asked, "While I agree this is troubling, do we have any sort of clue where she might have gone?"

Kiritsugu answered, "Not yet. Our best bet, right now, is just to focus on Archer. He's the greater danger."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "And just leave Sakura?"

"I'm not saying it's ideal. We'll keep looking for clues, but we have to focus on the most immediate problem."

Rin didn't answer. While the conversation spun she remained impassive.

Shirou hesitated. He shot a side-long glance towards the others, then asked, quietly, "Are you okay?"

Rin shot him a sharp look.

Shirou recoiled.

Rin stood abruptly. "I should call my guardians. They'll want to know where I am." She left.

The room filled with silence.

Rider sighed, rubbing his head. "Maybe we should all take time to cool off."

Kiritsugu said, "Perhaps, but we still have some problems to take care of. I'll go with Rin and Saber to the meeting tomorrow." He shot an apologetic look to Sora.

"That's fine. I have something I wanted to look into, anyways."

Shirou glanced at his mentor curiously, then where Rin had vanished. He stood and left.

Rin, despite her words, didn't move to the phone, instead leaving the building and stalking into the moonlit courtyard.

Shirou caught up to her. "Wait!"

Rin whipped around, eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"What's wrong?"

"Can't you tell?" Her words were laced with venom.

"I just—I haven't read your heart. A lot, anyways. There's a barrier."

Rin caught his shirt and dragged him closer. "You think that makes it better?"

"I—"

"You have no right to pry into my feelings." Her grip tightened, then she released him abruptly. "What do you know?"

"Huh?"

Her gaze darkened.

"I, um, I know that you care about Sakura more than you let on. But I don't know why." He lifted his hands defensively.

Rin studied him, then backed away. "I'll be blunt with you. If we weren't both allies with Kiritsugu, then I would've left by now. As it stands, you are _useful_ to me, and nothing more. Are we clear?"

Shirou winced. "That—that seems fair."

 _Rin sat on a desk, illuminated by the sunset, talking with him about his future._

He started, gripping his head.

Rin turned to leave.

Some knowledge flickered in the back of his mind. "You're going to find Sakura, aren't you?"

She kept moving.

"If I helped—if I could locate her—"

Rin paused and fixed him with an unreadable expression.

Shirou hesitated.

 _Nothing you do will change things._

His hand clenched above his heart. "Please. Let me help make this right."

She studied him for several long moments, then slowly turned and walked away.

 **-Sora** stopped at temple steps. A few people passed in the midday sun. The trees dappled the stone, light illuminating the entryway.

He took a deep breath and moved, ascending slowly. He paused at the top. "You there?"

No answer.

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just wanted to talk."

A few moments later a disgruntled snort sounded. "You're a strange one, aren't you?" Archer appeared, stepped from shadows. "Are you sure it's wise to have a casual chat with your enemies?"

"No, but the fact that you're saying that is a good sign."

Archer smirked, but his eyes were wary. He kept a small space between them, arms folded.

Sora focused on the temple, searching for the words to say. "So. What's it like? Seeing this place again, I mean."

"Hmm?"

"Sorry. Maybe I should've started with something simpler. Nice weather?"

He'd meant it sincerely, but he wasn't sure it'd been taken as such; Archer snorted. "Surely you didn't come here to make small talk."

Sora allowed a small smile. "Not exactly. But I'd still like to know how you're doing, you know?"

He sensed more than saw Archer stiffen.

He rubbed his neck, sighing. _Not the boy you know._ "I just—I need to understand something, is all."

When he offered no explanation Archer said, "Really, now. Perhaps you could be more vague."

Sora shrugged. "Just humor me, okay? I mean, we can't really fight with others around, right? And we're not talking about our weaknesses."

"You think these things can't be used against you?"

"Well, I guess they can. But I won't."

He didn't need his heart magic to understand the skeptical look—lowered brow, a frown, face otherwise impassive. He wondered how the boy he knew became the man he now saw.

 _They have the same origin, but that's it. They weren't raised by the same people._

"Would you like to talk to Kiritsugu?"

Archer didn't react for several moments. He stood a little straighter, eyeing Sora warily. "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing." He sighed, activating his heart magic. Much like he'd imagined, the barrier remained, but he could still sense something familiar beneath. "I'm just looking for answers."

Archer frowned.

The expression reminded him strongly of _his_ Shirou. He shook his head, trying to focus. "I have some questions about the world. She's not a friend of mine, and I don't think she's a friend of yours, right?"

Archer's eyes narrowed.

"So, I need to know how she works, and why." He scratched his cheek. "Normally I could just ask her, but she doesn't want to talk—"

"That's not information you should be messing around with." Darkness filtered through his eyes, but for a moment Sora saw only the child he'd found, hurt a stumbling through flames.

Sora clenched his fists. "I'm connected to her, regardless. I know you don't know me, but this is important. It might be able to help the people here that you _do_ know. The people you care about."

Archer studied him then looked away. "Sorry. There's no one like that anymore. I'm not sure what you thought you'd accomplish coming here."

"Wait! What—how even did you end up working with her? What happened?"

The Servant turned.

"Shirou—"

He stopped, stiffening, and Sora sensed that he'd overstepped. He backed away.

Archer said, "It's fine here," and disappeared.

Sora started, then snorted, smiling wryly. Then he heaved a troubled sigh. "That didn't really go as planned."

A voice said, "Servants are the heroes of this world."

The Kingdom Key appeared.

Anti-Sora stepped towards him, hooded, shadows trailing his feet. "In life they did many great deeds, and were rewarded by having their souls placed outside of time. Copies of the originals are sent to different timelines when summoned, usually for such battles as this."

"What are you doing here? How do you know that?"

"I learned. I thought it might come in handy."

Sora remained tense, searching his counterpart's hidden gaze. "What do you want?"

The Heartless remained silent several moments. "You realize he's likely going to forget the moment this copy dies, right? You can't touch the original." His words were weighted.

Sora's eyes narrowed, but his counterpart remained relaxed.

The shadow tilted his head. "It's interesting to see that some things remain the same."

"Huh?"

"You'll still do whatever it takes to protect the ones you care about, regardless of what version, even if it's at the expense of others."

"What are you talking about? That's not something—"

"No? You forget, you're talking to another version of you. You're capable of some pretty horrible things, under the right circumstances."

A chill ran up Sora's spine.

"You've challenged a world for the right to protect a single individual whose right to exist beyond world boundaries is questionable at best, which could quite easily put the world and the rest of its inhabitants in danger. Is a single life worth multiple? But we know our answer. We would gladly sacrifice everything for those we care about it. Maybe _that's_ why you distanced yourself from everyone, huh? So you wouldn't do that?"

"That's a lie, and you know it."

"But then you accidentally apprenticed this boy, and suddenly you have this child to take care of. He's like your kid, but it's more than that—he's the only one you've allowed yourself to connect to, truly, bit-by-bit over the years. You're so scared of being hurt by losing those close to you, what _wouldn't_ you do to keep this one safe? Even at the expense of another version?"

Sora's grip tightened. "Are you trying to goad me into a fight?"

"Why haven't you attacked yet?"

The two remained in a stalemate.

The Heartless passed slowly. "You came this far for information. I can respect that, so I'll give you something. The Servant? He's long dead. Sold his soul to try and save others, and now spends eternity killing the few to save the many."

Sora's eyes widened.

The shadow paused to eye him a few moments, then disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness.

Sora stood shaking, uncertain. _Was that a warning? A lie to throw me off my game? What—?_

Footsteps pounded towards him.

He swiveled, startled. "Illya?"

The white-haired girl hurried to meet him, panting, bending and placing her hands on her knees. "It's Shirou and Rin. They're missing."

* * *

 _So there are parts of this I was really energized to write, and parts where I…wasn't. Hopefully that doesn't show too much, and we can get the ball rolling with their next task. Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _Hmm not a bad fight scene, wasn't the longest but then again Saber did have that whole mental conflict inside with her. Doubts can weigh a blade down you know._ – Yep! Figured this might be a good place to address some of Saber's doubts.

 **RedRat8:** _Guess Saber is starting to change her views bit by bit, excellent work Dinny!_ – She's getting there slowly.

 **BlazeStryker:** _Sora, by his very nature, unlocks situations. His weapon is, after all, the Keyblade. Every Keyblade Master is the same way if you can but perceive it._ – I suppose that's one way of looking at it, yes.

 **ultima-owner:** _Lancer had a fun fight. I think that he doesn't mind not getting the grail as long as he can have fun fights._ – Haha, yep. Actually, I think it was said somewhere that Lancer's primary reason for being in the Grail War wasn't so much to obtain the Grail but to fight other legendary figures.

 **Galer:** _seein saber resove Waverin a little butt at the end her determination wins good_ – Yep, she eventually overcame the mental hurdle enough to make it. Not that this is the end of her problems, though. _Sore would geed surpriced bi the fact that saber is KIng arthur i am just waiting for that_ – I actually don't imagine him being that put off. To him, people can share names across worlds, so he'd probably just accept it at face value. He might, however, subconsciously compare her to the King Arthur he knows, especially if he learns more of her past and starts comparing/contrasting them.

 _Any thoughts or comments? Leave a review and let me know!_


	67. The Worm

_Here's chapter sixty – seven. Thank you RedRat8, ultima-owner, Galer, and BakonHawk for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Seven: The Worm**

Shirou still wasn't sure he'd made the best decision.

He currently stood outside the Matou residence. He wasn't sure if Rin had come here already, and, if he was truthful, he hoped she'd stay away for a little while longer. _I want to find something before she comes._

 _He and Rin stood near the Matou household, hiding just out of sight, while they watched Sakura._

Shirou winced, clutching his head. _Why does that keep happening? Is it normal, when you return to your home world? But Sora never seemed to have that happen. Xion, if you were here to talk to me, would you know?_

For the first time in a long time, he felt really, truly alone.

He shook his head. _That's not important right now. I need to find Sakura._ He knocked.

Footsteps sounded, moving slowly towards the door. It creaked open, and Shinji's eye peered through. "What do _you_ want?"

"Just to talk. Can I come in?"

Shinji's visible eye flicked across the space behind him. "You bring that Servant with you?"

"No. Like I said, I just want to talk."

Shinji's heart still radiated suspicion, and Shirou wondered if he'd have to sneak in another way.

A new voice—older, grating, ominous—sounded behind Shinji. "Let the boy through."

Shinji jumped. He shut the door abruptly. Voices sounded inside, words undistinguishable, but Shinji's heart radiated fear and petulance.

Shirou frowned, extending his heart magic.

Berserker's heart registered, standing nearby. An unusual heart appeared—almost fragmented into multiple, coated in darkness, nearly unreadable, with a vague similarity to the worm hidden in Sakura's heart. Cold slime seemed to coat the link and travel the magic back towards Shirou's heart.

He cut it off abruptly, shivering.

Shinji swung the door open, head lowered. "Come in." He stepped aside.

Berserker stood nearly in shadow, materialized but watching.

An elderly man, skin grayed and eyes black, surveyed him, hands braced on a cane. He chuckled. "You look troubled, boy."

Shirou started, then swallowed, trying to smooth his features.

"Come." He moved slowly.

Shirou hesitated, then followed, fingers itching to summon Vir.

They settled in the living room, Shirou perched on the edge of a chair, the old man sitting comfortably across from him. The man said, "I'm not accustomed to visitors. Forgive the lack of amenities."

"It's fine."

"I assume you're here about my granddaughter?"

Shirou stiffened. _"No one can go against Grandfather."_

"Don't look so surprised. I know you visited here not long ago and conversed with both my grandchildren. Coincidentally Sakura disappeared not long after." His expression never shifted, but his eyes grew darker.

"We had nothing to do with that," Shirou said, perhaps too quickly. "We discovered she was missing—" He stopped abruptly.

"Yes. I knew there were unwelcome visitors not long after she vanished. Somehow you managed to convince Berserker to back down."

The Servant glanced briefly their way, her expression still unreadable.

The man tapped his cane. "No matter. I believe I've already pinpointed the culprit of this crime."

"You do?"

"Have you heard of Kirei Kotomine?"

Images of a horrible basement and terror and some sort of primal, fiery fear fled through his mind and heart. "In passing."

"He is a strange man, but a formidable one. He seems to have developed a distaste for my methods." Something resembling amusement curled the elder's lips.

Shirou hesitated, the ventured carefully, "If you already know who took her, then why haven't you gone after her already?"

"What is _your_ interest in the girl?"

Shirou started.

"Berserker informed us that you were interested in _helping_ Sakura."

Shirou sensed that a wrong response would end poorly. "It's for an acquaintance of mine. I just want to make sure she's back, safe."

"Hmm. Well then, tell me: could you get this 'acquaintance' to divulge Kotomine's location?"

 _He knows._ The hair on Shirou's neck lifted. "I don't think _she_ knows."

"You underestimate her, boy. She knew the priest better than anyone. If anyone were to find him, it'd be her."  
Shirou eyed him warily, half ready to summon Vir.

"I wish to make an agreement with you. We both seek Sakura's return. I propose a ceasefire until she's safely back in the Matou household."

Shirou studied him. "Is this just because you need Rin to find the priest?"

The man smirked. "Yes, largely. However, with the aid of several other Masters, things will also go far more smoothly."

Shirou didn't relax. "And if I agree?"

"Then we will do as you asked and cease seeking this Grail."

Shinji whipped towards his grandfather. "Wh-what? But—we can't stop! The Grail is supposed to be _ours_!"

"Silence, boy." His expression unreadable, his fixed Shirou with a searching look.

Shirou's hands tightened around his knees. _There's more to this that he isn't telling. I don't think he'd honestly drop out of the War._

 _But if I'm wrong? Isn't it worth the risk? If all else fails, we might at least learn something. Right?_

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Of course," the man continued, "I'll send along help. I imagine Kotomine's not going to go down particularly easily."

 _I can't. Sakura was convinced we couldn't go against her Grandfather. But—_

Flames and death screamed around them, and among them was Rin's searing, searching face.

 _Maybe I'm just being selfish._

Shirou clenched his fist and closed his eyes. "I have one more request."

"Oh?"

"Sakura. You have to promise she'll be safe."

"Are you truly concerned her own grandfather would do her harm?"

He opened his eyes and fixed the man with an unwavering stare.

"Hmph. Very well. I promise that, so long as she is under this roof, she won't be hurt."

"And Rin can see her?"

"I have never forbidden their interaction. It was the Tohsaka girl who refused to come near her."

Shirou studied him, still suspicious, still uncomfortable, reeling from the slime in the man's heart. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. _If there's even a chance that this could turn out like he says, isn't it the right thing to do?_ He swallowed his trepidation and said, slowly, "Alright. There'll be a ceasefire until Sakura's rescued."

The man inclined his head. "Good. Berserker. Assassin."

A new Servant materialized beside Shirou, a skull mask covering his face, shrouded in dark clothes.

Shirou jolted, light flickering around his fingertips.

"You two will go with this boy while he and his friend search for Sakura. You will aid them until you've found her. Understand?"

Assassin nodded, then vanished.

Berserker's gaze swiveled towards the old man, and then she said, voice little more than a whisper, "I will go, but not for you."

"No sympathy among monsters, eh?"

Shirou stood abruptly. "I think we'd better leave."

"Of course. Just be prepared, boy. Things may not turn out like you think."

Shirou nodded, then left, shadowed by the two Servants.

 **-Shinji** whipped around to face his grandfather. "Why? Why give up the Grail, for, for, for—"

Zouken stamped his cane. "You'd do well to mind your place, boy."

Shinji bit his tongue, but didn't release his glare. "I could have done it."

"Hah." Zouken waved his protests away. "Have you never learned the importance of _words_ , boy?"

"E-eh?"

"I promised that we would stop seeking _this_ Grail. However, there is more than one alternative."

Shinji wavered, glancing uncertainly to were the three had left.

"The boy is aware of more than he lets on. I half expected him to refuse outright, in which case Assassin would have taken care of him, and we would've lost an interesting piece."

Shinji had the feeling Zouken was speaking more to himself than to him, but nonetheless he ventured, "Interesting piece?"

"Did you not notice how Sakura reacted to his presence?"

Shinji swallowed and didn't answer.

"Our plans are about to come to fruition. All you need do is watch."

 **-Waver** stood outside the Fuyuki Church. He clenched his fists. _Damn girl, trying to keep me out._ He shook his head, then straightened. He'd already had familiars confirm what Rin had hinted—the fourth War's Archer was still here.

Glenn and Martha, despite their attempts to seem calm, were growing increasingly distressed with Rin's absence. While she'd made frequent calls to assure them she was alright, she'd left it up to Waver to keep them from worrying.

Of course, that did little to stop Waver himself from worrying, especially when he'd gone to the Emiya residence and discovered her missing. If nothing else, he knew he could at least make sure she hadn't decided to take down her father's former Servant on her own.

Waver entered the church.

Eerie silence filled the corridor. His footsteps tapped too-loudly. "Hello? I've come to speak to the overseer."

No one answered.

Waver heaved a heavy breath and continued.

Chirping birds fluttered about the courtyard. Sunlight spilled shadows from the building and pillars.

Waver passed through the open area, a vague sense of unease tingling down his neck. He passed from the courtyard to an inner area, nosing about the rooms, eventually stumbling upon the office to find no one present.

Waver returned to the courtyard, frustration overtaking his former unease. "Maybe this was a waste of time."

He paused. Something flickered on the corner of his vision. "Hello? Who's there?"

An entryway stood, hidden in shadow, but no one moved nearby.

Waver took a few steps towards the entrance.

A voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Rider's Retainer."

Waver stalled, a shiver running up his spine. He turned, slowly.

The last War's Archer—Gilgamesh, King of Heroes—stood watching from the rooftops, a dangerous expression on his face.

* * *

 _And we'll cut it there. Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Man, why does Shirou have to deal with the issues of the other people here? He shouldn't have to, seriously it's because of the lack of human decency that things get as bad as they do._ – To be fair, Shirou would probably feel obligated to involve himself, anyways.

 **ultima-owner:** _Always read the fine print before you finalize a deal or you end up like Archer, stuck in a bad deal with no safe way out._ – Speaking of reading the fine print…

 **Galer:** _is your friend here_ \- …I'm not sure what you're trying to say here? _Yeah perty much Anti sora Have a "The jerkass has a point " moment tere (i now abaut tv tropes)_ – Indeed. He'll probably have a few of those moments. _any other crossover you have planning_ – Not at the moment. I have one idea for another large fic I'm playing around with, but it'll be a while before that materializes, and it'll be for a single fandom rather than multiple.

 **BakonHawk:** _Not sure if you remember my username but I was an avid follower of Guardian Twins and the followup with Lea._ – I do! I actually saw the notification in my email first, and kind of went, 'Oh, hey, I recognize that name! Been a while since I've seen most reviewers from _Guardian Twin._ ' _I love the way you handled the beginning of this, with the PTSD Sora and a decade of a time skip already having occurred._ _It really felt like, when you got to the events of the second keyblade war, that I was reading plot spoilers for KH3._ – Thanks! Actually, part of the inspiration for this fic was thinking about how Sora might develop through KH3, and the beginning was largely devoted to exploring each characters' individual issues, their relationships, and essentially just setting things up for one of the major climatic moments of the second half. That said, though, I'd actually be rather surprised if certain things I've written about the Second Keyblade War happen. (And a little disappointed—I'd kind of like Ven and Terra to actually get happy endings…) _I like your implementation of AntiForm as a memory of a lost timeline. It works really well here, compared to how Anti was handled in the Annals of Darkness series (rest in peace, you beautiful thing, you)._ – I've never read the Annals of Darkness series, so I don't know exactly what's different between my interpretation and theirs, but I'm glad you like it!

 _If you have any thoughts or theories, feel free to leave a review!_


	68. Bleeding Memories

_So, after last week's hiatus, here's the next chapter! Thank you BakonHawk, Gashadokuro Amanojaku, Galer, and ultima-owner for reviewing!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Eight: Bleeding Memories**

Rin strode through the hallways of Fuyuki High School. Her eyes flicked, an icy anger wafting from her and clearing a path.

Saber followed, dressed casually. "Rin," she said carefully, "I advise you to stop for the moment. This is only distressing you further."

Rin ignored her, turning a corner.

"The others will surely be wondering where we are—"

Rin slowed.

A familiar bespectacled student moved towards them. He stalled and blanched. "T-Tohsaka?"

Rin took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. "Issei. So good to see you."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were sick."

"I have someone I need to see. I don't suppose you know where Shinji Matou would be?"

Issei flinched away. "I'm not sure why you want to know, witch."

Her fists clenched behind her back. "Well, Issei, I've heard his sister's gone missing. I just wanted to know if he had any information."

"Missing? I knew she hadn't been to school, but—wait! Where'd you get that information?"

"Never mind. I'll ask one of the teachers." She brushed past him.

"Tohsaka! You can't just say that and _leave_."

Vaguely she registered Saber apologizing—and Issei's confused stammering—as she moved away.

Saber's footsteps tapped quickly behind. "It probably wasn't wise to avoid the question."

"Issei will think badly of me, anyways. I don't have time for him."

"You aren't thinking clearly right now."

"As if _you_ always are."

Saber fell abruptly silent.

"The War can wait. I need to make sure Sakura's safe." _It's my fault she's not._ She threw open the door to Shinji's homeroom.

The teacher's head shot up, eyes widening. "Can I help you?"

Numerous stares turned, ranging between curious, annoyed, surprised, and confused.

Rin scanned the crowd. _He's not here._ "Did Shinji Matou come to school today?"

"No. Miss Tohsaka, shouldn't you be—"

"Thank you." She turned and shut the door abruptly.

Their walk back through the hallways was quiet. Rin clenched her fists, striding purposefully, stubbornly, until she reached the entrance. "That rat. He's not _here._ "

Saber said, quietly, "He's also a Master."

Rin ground her teeth.

"Rin. We can convince Rider to go with us to the Matou household later, and hopefully find some clues. For now, we still have a meeting to attend."

Rin narrowed her eyes. "But he was just a proxy Master, wasn't he?"

"What are you thinking of?"

"We're going to the church. I have to talk to the overseer."

 **-Shirou** hesitated outside the Emiya residence. _It's quiet. Did they already leave?_ He was acutely aware of the two Servants, hiding invisible behind him. He shifted. "You should really stay out here."

No response.

He bit back a sigh. "Hey! Rin? Are you in there?"

Silence yawned back.

 _Worth a shot._ He activated his magic, allowing it to trail through the house. No hearts pinged inside. "I guess they've already left." He turned, trying to remember where they'd agreed to meet and where that was in the city.

 _If I'd grown up here, maybe I'd know._

He shook his head, moving quickly through the residential districts. He screwed his eyes and thoughts. _Let's see. I think they were going to speak at the hotel Bazett and Lancer were staying at. Since I'm not sure which one that is, I'll just get directions to each._

After flagging down a few passersby—and questioning one harried shopkeeper—he had an unreadable list of names and directions. He transcribed the directions with the aid of a helpful stranger and hurried on his way.

He traveled through the busy streets, people brushing him, buildings growing taller. A small section of greenery, walled from the sidewalk, appeared alongside a building, a large billboard plastered overhead. His destination appeared to his right, a large sign welcoming guests.

"Hello," he said to the receptionist, "is a lady named Bazett here?"

"You're going to have to be more specific than that."

"Bazett…Fraga, I think? I'm supposed to meet her with some friends."

The man typed something into his computer, scanned it, then shook his head. "Sorry. Try a different hotel."

"Thanks, anyways."

His search continued like that for a little while, taking him across town, through a rural district on what originally _appeared_ to be a shortcut, past souvenir shops and restaurants and small local businesses. He remembered he'd never really gotten Emi anything for her graduation, and silently reminded himself to pick something up before he left. He wondered if Xion, had she been able to come, would've appreciated the small ice cream shop on one corner.

His second stop proved fruitless, and he continued, but slowed, legs aching slightly, when he crossed the bridge, coming closer to the park.

"Mommy, Mommy," a voice said, distracting him, "can we go to the park today?"

A child hurried passed, a woman bustling after him. "Not _yet_. We'll stop on the way back."

"Okay!"

Shirou turned to watch them go.

 _Kiritsugu walked beside a young Shirou, holding the boy's hand tightly, the two walking in comfortable silence._

Pain split Shirou's head, and he gasped, clutching at his eyes. He took a few steadying breaths, his vision slowly clearing, the ground turning to static only briefly before stabilizing. _They're getting worse. What's happening?_

Assassin growled, "We could track her down much easier if we split up." He materialized.

Shirou eyed him. _If he thinks so, why hasn't he left yet?_ "No. It's better if we're all together when we get there, right?"

Berserker materialized, as well, her expression blank, despite the agitation radiating from her.

Shirou shook his head, turning, then blinked.

Kiritsugu stood across the street, talking to Bazett.

He rubbed his eyes, then checked again.

The figures remained.

He hesitated, scanning the scene. _She's not there. Then where did…?_

Kiritsugu turn and caught sight of him. He paused, looking startled a moment, before his face cleared and he gestured.

Shirou hesitated, checking to make sure Berserker and Assassin were gone, then hurried across the street.

Kiritsugu asked, "Where did you and Rin go? We've had people looking—"

"Rin's not with you?"

"No. She's not with you, either?"

He shook his head, saying carefully, "I was looking for her."

Bazett huffed. "Of course. The girl promises to talk, then disappears."

Kiritsugu ruffled his hair. "Sora will be glad to know you're okay, at least. He's been frantic."

Shirou winced. The vision nudged the back of his mind. "Kiritsugu. Did you know me? From before?" The image flickered briefly, and he saw Kiritsugu sitting, cross-legged, on the porch at the Emiya residence, moonlight shining, wearing a peaceful expression, sadness and a strange, unshakeable determination radiating through the vision.

 _This is important._

 _What_ is _this?_

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

Something thrummed beneath his feet. Faded hearts registered briefly, emotions fluttering through his mind, images, places and people he didn't recognize.

 _What's happening to me?_

"Never mind. I've—I've got to find Rin."

 _You've wasted too much time._

"Shirou?"

He turned, legs carrying him swiftly across the walkway.

A red lance abruptly stalled his escape. "What's your rush, kid?"

Berserker materialized, mace swinging.

Lancer whipped towards her, parrying.

Shirou hurried away.

"Shirou!" Rider caught up to him, but didn't try to stall him. "Hey, come on, talk. We can find Rin together. Is something—?"

Assassin appeared abruptly, startling Rider.

He stalled, skidding to a halt, eyes widening. "Why are you with enemy Servants?"

Shirou paused. He flashed what he hoped was an apologetic look, then fled.

He didn't stop until he'd reached the park. There he paused, panting, shaking, trying to clear his head. He opened his eyes to fire. Heat flared. Eerie silence shrouded him, save for the crackling of flames and crumbling buildings. His fingers curled into rubble, his skin burning.

 _Kiritsugu sobbed over a younger Shirou, relief flooding his face amidst the burning debris._

The vision cleared. _That can't be right. What are these?_

Something—similar to a heartbeat—pounded beneath his feet. A voice—vaguely female, unfamiliar, oppressive and terrifying—echoed through his head and resounded in his heart: _They are the truth. Reality and memories are bleeding into your malleable heart._

Shirou thought to respond, but found his voice trapped, his body caught.

 _There is a reason your mentor didn't want you to return to me. Ask him. Ask him why he wanted to keep you from your home._

The voice faded.

Shirou found himself released, and he slumped, clutching the ground desperately. A sick darkness seemed to stick to his fingers.

A figure materialized beside him. Assassin asked, "Are we going to find the girl?"

"I don't know where to look. I don't know this place. Where else would she go?"

Assassin remained silent.

Berserker appeared a moment later, never speaking, her hidden eyes piercing him.

Shirou sat back, taking a few deep, steadying breaths. _Where else do I know? Where could she go?_

She could've gone back to her adopted family's house—maybe they would have answers, at least. Shirou stood, pushing his worries away, and said, "I need help finding the McKenzie's."

 **-Waver** stood, tense and uncertain, watching Gilgamesh warily. He lowered his head slowly. "Greetings, King of Heroes."

"Is that the best you can do?"

Waver bit back a response, waiting, sweat beading on his neck.

"What are you doing in this church, boy? Surely you have no reason to be here, since you are no longer a Master."

Waver swallowed and considered his answer. "I simply wished to speak to the overseer. I worry about a charge of mine who's entered the War."

"Oh? Surely they can fend for themselves."

"Yes, I know. But she's still young. If she were to face someone such as _you_ , she would have no chance."

"Truly. However, what makes you think you know what's best for her? She can make her own decisions, can't she?"

Waver's eyes flicked forward. _I can't tell if he's just playing with me or really hasn't seen her._ His eyes scanned the area. _But there aren't any signs of a fight. That doesn't mean she couldn't have moved it to a different area, but it's a start._

Footsteps sounded, then paused. "Wh-what is the meaning of this?"

Gilgamesh's gaze flicked past Waver, expression morphing to disdain. "Mind your place, Overseer. You should know better than to interrupt a conversation." His red eyes flashed a warning.

Silence. Then: "B-but this man hasn't—he hasn't done anything, has he? Maybe he's just here for prayer. Surely—"

"Be quiet."

The overseer stopped talking abruptly.

"Do not overstep my good graces. While you are under my protection for now, I assure you there will be consequences for agitating me."

Waver winced. He slowly straightened.

Gilgamesh's attention abruptly switched elsewhere. "It appears we have a visitor. Is this perhaps your _charge_ , Rider's Retainer?" He moved.

"Wait!" Waver shouted.

The Servant left.

Waver cursed.

The overseer stammered, "What's going on? Why would he go to meet—"

"Overseer. You have a lot of explaining to do, but first, you're going to help me clean up this mess."

 **-"Rin,"** Saber asked, "are you sure you want to do this? You know Gilgamesh will be waiting for us."

Rin stood some distance away from Fuyuki Church, eyeing it warily. "I know."

"Then why return here?"

Rin finally released her held breath. "It was a stupid idea."

Saber didn't respond.

Rin admitted to herself, silently, that she'd been searching for every excuse to avoid going to the Matou household. She didn't want to face the people who had taken her sister in, didn't want to face her mistakes and wonder if she could've done something to stop this from happening.

After her father had died, could she have brought Sakura back? Had her selfish reasons kept her from truly looking after her sister?

She shook her head. "We can go back and meet the others," she conceded finally.

"Oh?" A male voice echoed around them. "Leaving so soon?"

Saber's armor and weapon materialized.

Rin slipped into a fighting position.

A golden figure watched them from the church entrance.

Saber hissed, "Archer."

"Kind of you to return so soon, Saber. I assume you have no interest in talking?"

Saber took a few steps in front of Rin. "We have no quarrel with you. We simply wish to leave."

"I will dictate when you leave." His voice grew colder.

"Rin!" someone shouted. A lanky figure appeared, barreling from the church, overseer in tow.

Rin's eyes widened. "Waver?"

Gilgamesh didn't bother turning. "You have some nerve, mongrel." Golden portals opened, and weapons fired.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **BakonHawk:** _People forget that Sora became a heartless when he created Roxas, that he was technically a Heartless through the last bits of KH1 and all of CoM._ – Yeah; it's something I find really fascinating about his character that really wasn't looked at much in-game. (Beyond Anti-Form.) It's part of the reason I wanted to include bits about it here. _You're really making me struggle to remember who these characters are, though. I haven't watched Fate in so long._ – To be fair, some of them are from other Fate stories, or are mostly just found in the visual novel (though you'd probably recognize Zouken if you watched Fate/Zero).

 **Gashadokuro Amanojaku:** _Oho. That's a nice play of words there from Zouken. I think I wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't knew about the truth beforehand._ – He's a crafty old coot. _And Waver's finally meeting up with Archer. I am curious to see how that will turn out._ – Not…exactly well.

 **Galer:** _Nowing soukeng he would probably betray shirou because of a loopole in te promise_ – Sort of his plan, there, though not exactly in an expected way. _well...shit Gligamesh and Waver i hope that Waver come out of this situation in one piece_ – Well… (Also, for your comment from the hiatus update: I'm doing fine! I just needed to step away from things for a little while, is all. Thank you, though.)

 **ultima-owner:** _Sakura's "grandfather" may be willing to help but only to protect his investments. I doubt waiting longer will effect him. He's got all the time in the world._ – True. He's kind of got his own plans to bring to fruition right now, though.

 _Any thoughts or comments? Drop a review and let me know!_


	69. Battle Plans

_Here's chapter sixty – nine! Just in case you guys missed it, the 'hiatus' chapter from two weeks ago was replaced with a new chapter, so make sure you check it out before moving on to this one!_

 **Chapter Sixty – Nine: Battle Plans**

Shirou knocked on the McKenzie's door.

Shuffling sounded inside. The door creaked open. An older man faced him, a surprised look slowly crossing his face. "Hello? What can I do for you?"

Shirou shifted, pointedly not looking back, only using his heart magic to pinpoint that the two Servants were waiting a short distance away. "My name's Shirou. I was just looking for Rin."

"I'm afraid she's not here at the moment. She hasn't been home for some time."

"Oh."

"She's been staying at a classmate's house, for school work." Something in his voice suggested he didn't believe his own words.

Shirou's magic stretched towards the man's heart. Concern filled it, seemingly being forced away.

"I checked there already. Do you know anywhere else she might be?"

"You already knew to check?"

Shirou winced.

The man studied him, then sighed. "Perhaps you should come in. I'm sure Martha won't mind the company."

 **-Saber** moved the moment the weapons began edging forward. Her sword swept wide, swatting away two flying swords.

Gandr shots flashed by, aimed at the long weapon flying towards Waver. The former Master had been dragged back by the overseer, hardly a moment after he'd appeared; the two safely deflected the weapon.

Gilgamesh watched them, dry amusement flickering in his eyes. "Not bad, Saber. But you'll have to do better than that."

Saber stopped her charge, tensed, considering her options. _He intends to keep his opponents at a distance. With his long range attacks, all others present will be in danger._ She retreated, eyes never leaving her opponent.

Weapons materialized, flashing towards Saber. She resorted to parrying them, planting herself firmly in front of Rin. "Master," she said, "please leave the area. I cannot both guard you and fight him."

Rin didn't respond immediately. Then she huffed. "You think he'll really let me leave? Right now, he's just toying with us."

Gilgamesh watched them, eyes flickering with amusement.

"Besides, I'm not leaving Waver. I need to get to him. So." A Command Seal glowed. "By this Command Seal, I order you. Saber. Take me safely to the church entrance."

Red flashed. The Command Seal disappeared.

Energy filled Saber. She gripped Rin and moved. The world blurred, wind and golden light flaring around them.

Her instincts screamed a warning, and she parried, shoving Rin to one side. The sword flew abruptly in a different direction. Saber continued moving, carried on the Command Seal's energy, flashing by Gilgamesh and spinning quickly, flinging Rin behind her.

Gilgamesh turned, the golden portals following, only to be bombarded by several Gandr curses and Saber's Strike Air.

The church door creaked. "I'll be back before long, Saber. We'll get out of this. Survive until then."

Saber nodded, then parried, weapons flying past and embedding in the church doors.

Gilgamesh snorted. "You would dare attack the king from behind?"

"The result will be the same, regardless of how we fight."

"I admire your confidence. However," his expression hardened, "I will do everything in my power to break it."

 **-Shirou** examined the small house, sitting uncertainly at the table.

The old man set a cup before him. "My name is Glen. I assume you're a friend from school?"

"I—no. I'm just visiting. I met Rin once before."

"Mm."

An older woman—Martha, Shirou assumed—sat nearby, smiling serenely. "It's so nice to see Rin's made another friend. She's usually so distant with her classmates."

"Huh?"

"She doesn't like talking about it, but I think losing her parents at such a young age made her distance herself from others."

Shirou's hands tightened around the cup. "I see."

Glen coughed. "At any rate, I thought you might be able to ask Waver, but it appears he's out, as well."

Martha said, "Maybe those two are actually taking some time to relax. It's been a while since they've seen each other, with Waver being so busy, and all."

Shirou asked, "Are they close?"

Martha laughed. "She followed him around like a puppy when she was little. I'm not sure if he hated or enjoyed it."

Shirou ran a thumb along the cup's edge, reminding himself he had places to be. _If they're together, maybe they're talking about the War, or how to find Sakura._ "Is there anywhere you think they might've gone? Anywhere Rin likes to go? Or—or _doesn't_ like to go?"

Glen and Martha exchanged glances.

"Please. I have something really important I need to tell her."

Martha said, "No need to be in a rush, dear. You can always stay here until she gets back."

"I—it's just—I don't think I can wait that long." Their hearts radiated different things—concern from both, but with a dose of skepticism from Glen, a warmth from Martha. "How did you end up adopting Rin?"

Both started.

"I can kind of empathize with her. I was adopted, too, but my life's been a lot different. My dad and I travel a lot. I wanted to talk to her about—" He couldn't quite bring himself to finish the lie, but it appeared to be enough.

Glen's eyes softened. "Well, we hadn't really intended to adopt, especially not at our age. But having Waver stay with us for a while really brought some light back into our lives. He's actually how we found out about Rin."

Martha added, "Her former guardian was the man who trapped all those orphans. Dreadful, isn't it?"

Shirou stiffened. "Yeah. I'd heard."

If they noticed, they didn't comment. Glen continued, "Waver was a passing acquaintance of her father's and guardian's, and, after hearing about the situation, suggested she could live with us. He'd be with us for a few months longer, at least, so he could help. We weren't sure, of course, but seeing Waver's determination won us over."

Shirou shifted, a part of him wanting to urge to man to his point quicker, but another quietly absorbing the story.

Glen chuckled, his eyes softening fondly. "Waver didn't quite know what to do when we actually agreed. He didn't know how to help take care of a kid, especially when she so stubbornly insisted she could take care of herself, despite her obvious discomfort. She tried running away more than once. Sometimes the police found her, and others she came back on her own. I don't think she really knew where to go.

"Waver brought her home the last time. Found her hiding in an abandoned mansion. I guess it used to belong to her family. When Waver brought her home, she'd obviously had quite the ordeal, and was desperate to be close to Martha and me."

Martha's expression fell. "After that Waver started interacting with her more. When he left, she wanted to go with him so badly. He insisted it'd be better for her to stay here, with a normal family, but promised he'd come visit."

Shirou pushed his still-full cup away, mind filled with his own childhood. He took a deep breath. "Why'd she go to that mansion?"

"Hm?" Martha exchanged glances with her husband. "I suppose it belonged to her family, at one point. Both her father and her former guardian stayed there."

An idea wormed into Shirou's mind. "Can you give me directions?"

Glen said, "It's in Miyama Town, in the foreigner's district. Hard to miss, especially if you ask around about the 'haunted house.'"

"Thanks." He stood. "I should probably be going."

"Are you sure, dear? I'm sure she'll call at some point. She's very careful to keep us updated."

"I'm sure. Thank you." As he left, he wondered if Sora had discovered he'd gone. He wished he could assure his mentor he was alright, but he wanted to hurry to Rin's old home, to confirm his suspicions before trying to get help.

Berserker materialized. "Did you discover where the girl is?"

"No. Well, I don't know. But I might have an idea where _Sakura_ is."

Berserker kept silent, but eyed him skeptically.

 _Should I try to find Rin first? She'd probably like to know._ He clenched his fists. _But I still don't know where she is, and if I'm right, then this gives us the best chance to free her. Besides,_ he cast a look to Berserker, _I don't know if she'd appreciate working with enemy Servants. If_ any _of them would._ "If I wanted to hide, I'd go somewhere familiar, but someplace nobody else would want to go. What fits better for the priest than the Tohsaka manner?"

 **-Saber** skidded across the ground, sword protecting her head.

Gilgamesh's weapons flew past her, some deflected by her armor, one grazing her arm. Other wounds littered her body, though, thankfully, no weapons had made it firmly past her guard.

Gilgamesh watched her with eyes narrowed, still wearing civilian clothes. "I grow tired of this, Saber. Surely you have something better to show."

Saber took a deep breath and kicked off, moving straight towards her assailant.

Gilgamesh sighed, opening a portal and lazily firing a weapon.

Prana filled her feet, and she abruptly swept to the left, debris exploding from her movement. She swung, watching Gilgamesh's eyes widen a fraction before her moved away, drawing a weapon from his Gate.

Saber pressed, striking rapidly twice, then stabbing, twisting her blade to slam her sword's pommel into her opponent's face.

Gilgamesh reeled, parrying the strikes, but was unable to parry the pommel blow. His nose crunched; blood dribbled down his face.

 _His greatest weakness is his pride._ Saber pressed, keeping up her flurry of strikes, aiming for the shoulder, the waist, the chest. _He underestimated me, and now—_

Portals opened behind him.

Saber leapt backwards, sword lifted, as several weapons struck and shattered the ground where she once stood. A slew of other weapons followed, trailing Saber's retreat. She released Invisible Air, wind whirling to deflect the blades, and dashed to the side, continuing her movement, Excalibur glowing brightly.

Gilgamesh's golden armor settled into place. He watched her, unspeaking, unmoving, the portals tracing her flight, shooting a continuous stream of ammunition.

Saber gritted her teeth, then skidded to an abrupt halt, ducked, and lifted a hand to catch a flying sword.

Gilgamesh's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Did you pick up a trick from the dogs?"

Saber parried several incoming swords, then discarded the unfamiliar weapon, shooting in a zig-zagging pattern towards her opponent.

A flurry of weapons blocked her path, golden flares winging towards her. She dodged, skidding, and parried, catching a weapon that flew past her face to block a second, using her momentum to dodge a third.

A spear found a gap in her armor. Pain lanced through her leg. She gasped, stumbled, grit skidding beneath her feet. A second spear flashed towards her chest. She leaned, parrying with Excalibur, the weapon sent just slightly askew, grazing her side. An ax hurtled towards her head. She tilted and lifted a hand, the weapon's momentum dragging her slightly backwards. She grimaced but, with a war cry, hurtled the ax back at her assailant.

A mace deflected the blow, and, aside from the brief clash of metal, for a few precious moments silence reigned.

Saber breathed deeply, one hand clenched tightly around Excalibur, the other braced against the ground.

"Well?" Gilgamesh asked. "Are you ready to yield, Saber?"

Saber gritted her teeth. Her free hand wrapped around the spear and tugged it free. Blood coated her leg. She used Excalibur as a brace, tossing the spear aside.

"Very well." The golden gates opened wide.

Saber prepared to move, gripping Excalibur with both hands, eyes narrowed.

Weapons fired.

Saber parried, blocking one strike with her armor, and moved into the blow, taking a defensive stance and directing a weapon higher. Light flashed around her, showering the air with debris, rubble striking her face. She swept her blade low, ducking, parrying another weapon. A brief surge of prana sent her flying past a surge, and the Gates had to refocus, allowing her to gain ground on her opponent as he moved away.

A sword graced her shoulder. She swung sideways, skidding, and a second pierced her arm. She stifled a gasp and ripped it free, switching Excalibur to her other arm. She swung twice, lunging, starting to charge before a blunt, unidentified weapon collided with her injured leg.

She fell, braced herself, and started to stand again, only to pause when a ring of weapons pierced the ground around her.

Gilgamesh watched her, eyes narrowed.

Saber gritted her teeth. _I will not lose to you._ Excalibur glowed brightly. She moved to stand.

Her leg gave. Her head dipped. Excalibur clacked the ground, its former glow gone. She shook, breathing hard.

"Have you realized you're not match, Saber? Join me, and we could rule this world together."

"You would never consent to rule with another."

"Perhaps not. But is being subservient to the true king so bad?"

Saber flashed him a glare, then lowered her head, shoulders slumped, sword lax.

Gilgamesh approached her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure I treat you as my dearest treasure." His feet appeared, just in her field of vision, beyond the wall of weapons.

She smirked. Prana filled her feet. Excalibur glowed.

Gilgamesh reeled.

Saber exploded upwards, Excalibur a blur, and stabbed, pure golden light flaring from its point.

 **-Rin** stormed towards Waver. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Looking for Sakura!" She whipped towards Hiroshi. "Did you know a Master is missing?"

The overseer lifted his hands. "I-it's not my job to keep track of Masters. Only to provide asylum."

"Well," Waver said, "fantastic. We're in a mess. Did you even _think_ before coming here?"

"Did you?"

The two glared at each other a few heartbeats.

Waver relented first. "I suppose arguing's a moot point, for now. We're stuck inside the church, until Saber's fight is over. I don't like the prospect of him winning."

Hiroshi's uncomfortable look behind Waver suggested he felt the same.

Waver turned to eye him. "Gilgamesh was the Servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka, who died late into the last War. Kiritsugu Emiya informed us he partnered with Kirei Kotomine after Tokiomi's death. It stands to reason, then, that you might know where Kotomine is."

Hiroshi shifted.

Rin tensed.

"Was that what you were doing in that alcove?"

"No. That—I was doing something else."

"And that was?"

"Asking for forgiveness." Hiroshi shot them a glare. "For participating in this horrific ritual. For the sins committed in this very church. For harboring _them_!" He spat the last word, seething.

Rin took several steps forward, voice cold. "Then why did you?"

"He is a member of the Church. I couldn't turn him away."

"Or," Rin suggested, "you were too afraid of what he—or Gilgamesh—might do to you."

Hiroshi flinched, his fire gone.

"How long?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she pressed, " _How long_?"

"A few months. That's all. I didn't know who they were or what they'd done, at first, and afterwards it was too late to—"

Waver waved a hand. "There is no 'too late.'"

The church doors rattled.

Rin whipped around, hand lifted.

Waver took a deep breath. "Alright. We're all trapped right now. What are we going to do about it?"

Rin lowered her hand slowly. "As a swordsman, Saber's got the advantage. You said that yourself, right?"

"Yes. Or, at least, it seemed that way."

"Then we have to keep Gilgamesh distracted. If he can't focus on fighting long range, Saber can get close enough to strike."

"We don't have much time to work out a plan."

"Don't worry. Saber can hold out a little longer, and I have an ace up my sleeve." She grinned. "I didn't come to fight Gilgamesh, but I thought I'd be prepared, just in case anything happened."

Waver lifted an eyebrow. "Alright. Overseer. Is there a good vantage point where we can see outside?"

"I suppose the balcony might work, but what are you—"

Rin moved away. "Alright. Come on, we've got work to do."

 **-The** armor saved him.

Saber cursed her luck. Black smeared the golden plates and a red, vicious burn coated Gilgamesh's cheek. He panted, shaking, one hand raised to clutch at his right shoulder, but he still stood.

"You." His voice came out a growl, his head slowly lifting, red eyes glaring fire. "That wasn't a knight's trick, was it?"

"Have you heard the phrase, 'all's fair in war'?" She settled into position. "I learned some tricks from my former Master."

"You would sacrifice your ideals?"

"No. But I will not let you bring ruin on this world." Saber tensed. "Prepare yourself, King of Heroes. I'm coming."

Gilgamesh watched her, eyes narrowed. The portals glowed behind him and yawned wider, weapons glowing in their midst. They fired almost simultaneously.

A wall of ice blocked their path before Saber even had the chance to move.

"What?" Gilgamesh whipped around.

Sora stood a short distance off, Keyblade pointed towards them. He grinned, propping the weapon on his shoulders. "You didn't think you could start without me, did you?"

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Let me know your thoughts._


	70. Shadows

_Here's chapter seventy! Thank you Parks98, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy: Shadows**

Shirou stood outside the old mansion. Dust covered the windows; one was cracked, letting a drape flutter outside. Foliage curled around the ground and snaked up the building's side.

Shirou clenched his fists and swallowed. Berserker stood beside him, weapon ready. Assassin, he knew, had to be hiding somewhere close. "Okay. They've got to be in there. Right?"

Berserker remained silent.

"Let's go."

A voice interrupted, "Hold on."

Shirou stiffened. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Rider lifted an eyebrow. " _You're_ asking _me_ that?"

Shirou shifted, but met his gaze.

Rider puffed a sigh. "I followed you. After I saw you with enemy Servants, well." He shrugged, then flashed Berserker a look. "Been a while."

The Servant stood prepared to fight.

"Everyone's been searching for you and Rin, you know. Kiritsugu, Lancer, Bazett, Illya, Sora. So what's the deal? Why are you with her," he jerked his chin, "and why'd you run off?" He stood, seemingly relaxed, though a tension held his limbs and eyes.

Shirou hesitated. "I—" He paused, swallowed. "I think Sakura's in here."

"Huh?"

"I went looking for Sakura. I think that's what Rin's doing, too, but I don't know where she is." He shrugged, looking away.

Rider sighed. "You _know_ we were going to look for her. You and Rin both. Why'd you decide to go alone?" He paused. "Or, I guess, not _alone_ , but with potentially murderous strangers."

"I owe it to Rin. After everything. I thought I could find something, and let her know."

"You can't just _buy_ her forgiveness, you know."

"It's not—"

"Then what else is it?"

Shirou worked his jaw, then muttered, "If I can do something, shouldn't I? I'm not vital in this War, so I'm free to go looking, right?"

"You may not be an important piece in the War, but you _are_ important to quite a few people." He sighed. "Look, I'm not saying don't help, just be smart about it, alright?" He shook his head. "So. I suppose we're going in there?"

"We?"

"You really think I'm letting you go in there with—well."

Berserker's fingers tightened around her weapon.

Rider narrowed his eyes. "I don't know how you got her on your side, but we'll deal with that problem later. I'm guessing you're not going back unless I carry you, right? And if we're already here, might as well have a look."

Shirou nodded slowly. He turned, casting his companions a wary glance, and approached the house.

 **-Sakura** sat, tied, before Kirei, face impassive.

Kirei lifted an eyebrow. "You truly are difficult, aren't you?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. There's simply no reason for me to act. Whatever happens, it doesn't concern me."

"Even if the cost is your life?"

"My life was never my own."

Something flickered in Kirei's eyes that she didn't recognize. A faint darkness stirred inside her, but she pushed t aside, the feeling still too uncomfortable, despite her claims. "I know you want what Grandfather planted inside me."

"Oh?"

"I can't give it to you. I'm not sure how."

Kirei took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then hesitated, head swiveling. "It appears we have visitors. Perhaps more students looking for a cheap thrill?"

Sakura didn't respond.

Kirei turned. "Well. I suppose I should give them a proper greeting." He left.

Sakura listened to the silence, wondering, not for the first time, if Kirei had believed locking her in Tokiomi's study would make her break.

A voice hissed, "It is nice to see you again, my lady."

"Assassin. Are you the 'visitor'?"

Assassin materialized, watching her calmly. "Yes. And no. You have some people coming to save you. Berserker, and that boy and his Servant. The one who came to speak to you."

"Berserker?" She paused, considering. "Why would she come after me? She owes me no loyalty anymore. And the other Master? Why?"

"Why, indeed?" He vanished.

- **Shirou** closed his eyes briefly upon entering the house. He sent his magic thrumming through the house. Two hearts pinged on the upper floor. The hair on his neck lifted. "They're here."

One of the hearts moved.

"And they've noticed us."

Rider said, "Then we should get moving."

The stories about a haunted house may have been exaggerated, Shirou thought, but he certainly understood why they started. The rooms seemed to yawn sadly, the furniture looking empty, as if a family should be sitting there and wasn't. Dust motes floated over silverware and a dining room table set for three. Their quick footsteps seemed hushed.

"Well," a voice said loudly, breaking the spell, sending the three into defensive positions, "it's been a long time, but I think I remember that face." The priest, Kirei Kotomine, moved down the steps, boards creaking. "You're the boy who escaped, aren't you? The orphan with the key. Or should I call it Keyblade?"

Shirou stared, unable to speak for several moments, an old fear stirring his heart, the rush of first summoning his Keyblade filling his memories.

A few moments later he realized the weight in his hands was real, and that his teeth were clenched so hard his jaws hurt.

"How have you been enjoying your freedom? Ever stop to check on the orphans you so helpfully freed?"

Rider lifted a sword. "Move aside. We're here to collect the girl, then we'll leave."

Shirou asked, almost simultaneously, "How do you know about the Keyblade?" For one brief moment he feared Kotomine had been able to leave this world, and had followed him on his journey.

"A traveler told me. It's quite fascinating, really. Perhaps, should releasing Angra Mainyu not appease me, I shall see what these 'other worlds' have to offer."

Berserker moved, mace swung back, and aimed at the priest.

Kotomine ducked, swinging to the side.

The attack missed. Berserker barely paused to glance at him before rushing past.

Shirou stared.

Kotomine shrugged. "I am no match for Servants. Go ahead."

Rider narrowed his eyes. "Just like that?"

Shirou activated his heart magic. Something dark, twisted, writhed around the place where the man's heart should be. "What's wrong with your heart?" he whispered.

"Probably the same thing that's wrong with yours."

The words sent a chill down Shirou's spine. He didn't want to stay here with this shadow from his past. He hurried up the stairs, watching the former priest warily as he passed.

Kotomine watched him, and though a smile stretched his lips, it didn't reach his eyes. Anger smoldered in their depths, tracking him, his heart writhing with a familiar darkness. _You were in the fire,_ Shirou realized. _You know. Then why did you take us? If Sora hadn't been here, would I have still been able to save us? Would you have changed your mind?_

He turned away from the flames and stormed up the stairs.

Berserker hurried down the hall. A part of Shirou wondered if she could still sense her true Master through their link; his heart magic allowed him to follow the same path, though the Servant made it into the room long before he did.

Berserker's voice faded into hearing as he approached: "…ome to get you. It's time to go home, Sakura."

The girl stared, eyes slightly widened, but otherwise remained unmoved.

Berserker began untying Sakura, saying, "We're going to bring you back to the Matou residence. You're safe."

Sakura snorted. "Safe?" The word sounded bitter.

Shirou blinked. Mind still reeling from memories of the fire, he asked, quietly, "What has your Grandfather done to you, Sakura."

She fixed him with a look and didn't answer.

"You're eyes are the same as his. Mine. My master's. You've gone through a fire, too, haven't you?" His hands shook suddenly.

Sakura glanced aside.

Shirou knelt. "Do you even want to go back?"

Berserker tensed. "Of course she does. She doesn't want to stay stuck here—"

"We saw the worms. That's what's in your heart, isn't it?"

Sakura's hand flew to her chest.

"I'm sorry. I—none of us knew. Is that why you feel so hopeless? I know what that's like." His fists curled against his legs. "You could come back with us instead. If you wanted."

Sakura didn't answer for several long moments. "What gives you the right?"

Shirou stared.

She lifted her head quickly, eyes suddenly fire, reminding him very much of Rin. "What gives you the right to come _now_? What makes you think you can save me? The damage is done." She didn't cry, but her eyes suggested she might.

"I—" He didn't know how to respond, and so stopped, waiting for her to speak again.

She collected herself. "Grandfather will never let me go. How cruel is it to offer me a path out, when I know it will never work?"

Shirou extended a hand. "Maybe it will, if you give it a chance." He settled for resting his hand on her knee, and activated his heart magic, touching her heart gently, trying to feed hope and honesty through the link. "When I was very young, I walked through hell. I thought I would die, and discarded so much of myself that I might as well have. But I didn't. I shouldn't have survived, but my master—my father—found me. I obtained an amazing power, but even with it, I still watched my dad struggle with his own demons, and I've been powerless ever since to help him." He forced a smile. "But I've never stopped trying. After all, if a dead child can be given new life, why can't he help a broken man with his own shadows?"

Sakura fixed her eyes on his hand.

"All I'm saying is," he paused, Kotomine's eyes flaring in his mind, "you don't have to give up. We'll help you, if you want us to. I know someone who's been looking for you pretty relentlessly."

A short, quiet gasp escaped Sakura's lips.

"Rin will be relieved, at least, to hear you're unharmed."

Emotions flitted in rapid succession through Sakura's heart—uncertainty, hope, bitterness, all cloaked in a veil of darkness.

 _A shadow swarmed towards him._

Shirou's eyes narrowed. _What?_

Three things happened at once.

Rider shouted, "Look out!" Several knives flew towards him, and he swung Vir, knocking them aside.

Berserker jerked, gasping, a choked, "What are you doing?" escaping her lips before she toppled forward.

Darkness filled Sakura's heart and swarmed over the link.

Shirou screamed. The darkness filled his heart, burning, encompassing, sticky and hot and cold at the same time. His vision dotted, strained, and he vaguely sensed his fingers curling into the floor.

Sakura's voice seemed to echo, heard more in his heart than with his ears. "You are using me, aren't you? You just want to help me because you don't want to feel guilty."

"I don't—"

"Rin just wants to feel like she's a good sister. Like she didn't really abandon me. To pretend what happened to me didn't happen."

"Sakura. Stop." He tried to push against the darkness, but it choked him, filling his throat, wrapping tight claws around his heart. A faint, flickering, ethereal chain seemed to shake between his heart and hers.

"Everyone wants me for what I can do for them, but you think you're better, because you think you're saving me?"

He tried to speak, but the sound came out more a whimper. He groped vainly for the still flickering chain.

Distant voices reached him.

Sakura's voice screamed loudest. "I will no longer be used."

His fingers brushed the chain, and all at once, images flooded him, of worms and fear and a hell completely separate from his own.

His mind hardly had time to register what he was doing. He locked Vir into the chain. _Purge._

The chain rattled. His Keyblade quaked. The linked shifted and the darkness writhed. Someone screamed; he thought it might have been him. An explosion, and a pop, and then his hearing and vision went. He hit something hard, his fingers clawing something wet. The darkness still gripped his mind, leaving him paralyzed, unwanted thoughts and images playing through his mind over and over again.

Footsteps thrummed through his fingertips. Something lifted him, shook him, slapped his face. Then they were moving.

The link severed abruptly. His magic retreated, hiding deep within his heart.

Shirou gasped, his throat suddenly opening, his heart hammering, and took several deep gulps of breath. Dimly the mansion disappeared into the distance.

 **-Kirei** stood outside the mansion. He glanced at the man who approached him. "Magus Killer."

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes.

"Have you come to finish what you started?"

"What did you do to them?"

"I simply opened a pathway."

Kiritsugu lifted his gun.

"You plan to kill me?"

For a few moments, it looked like he would. Then he lowered his gun. "No. You're not worth it." He turned and left.

Kirei watched him go, a snarl curling his lips. _Well, don't worry. I'm not done with this War yet._

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _Wonder how Gil will act to a weapon that he doesn't have the prototype form of? I mean weapon from a different world and all_ – Well, he's been informed about the Keyblade. He's actually rather interested in it. (Actually, that brings up a terrifying thought—Keyblade-wielding Gil.)

 **ultima-owner:** _Sora made it just in time._ – Indeed he did.

 **Galer:** _Sora vs Gilgamesh interesthin (this would be a hard fight for Sora and saber. )_ – It's definitely going to be intense for them.

 _If you have any comments or questions, drop them in a review!_


	71. The King

_Here's chapter seventy – one! Thank you RedRat8, Parks98, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – One: The King**

Saber flashed Sora a surprised look. "How did you find us?"

"Well, honestly, I wasn't really looking for you." His eyes met hers, tense around the edges, despite his otherwise relaxed expression. "Don't suppose Shirou found you?"

Saber shook her head.

Sora nodded, then flicked his gaze towards the King of Heroes. "Rin told us about you. Gilgamesh, right?"

For the first time Saber realized Gilgamesh's weapons were now trained on Sora, a faintly angry expression creasing his face. "Indeed. And who are you, mongrel?"

"Name's Sora." His grin broadened, his fingers tightening around his Keyblade. "You think you could back off a bit? Let the people in the church get out?"

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. "You think you can order a king?"

"No, but I thought I'd ask."

The weapons fired.

Saber moved, stepping in front of Sora to deflect the blows. A flurry of lightning fell a moment later, deflecting a second volley.

Sora whispered, "So, what's his strategy?"

"Long range. He prefers to keep his opponents at a distance and overwhelm them."

"He seems pretty upset I interrupted."

"We have a complicated history."

"Ah." Sora stepped beside her. "Think we can take him?"

Saber fixed the golden man with fierce eyes. "Yes."

Weapons fired.

Sora stepped close. "Aeroga!" A whirlwind surrounded them, deflecting the weapons at the last second.

Something glinted, arching over the barrier.

Saber intercepted, sword swinging, knocking the attack from the air while Sora remained prone, blade lifted.

The wind died, and Saber exploded from the remains, trailing debris. Gold flashed around her.

Walls of flame exploded on either side, creating a straight path to her opponent. She skidded across the ground, parrying two arcing shots, then moved, lifting her sword to block her body's length. Weapons glanced aside, flung into the fire. She skidded sideways, and the wall dipped and disappeared.

Gilgamesh moved, taking the ice Sora had created as higher ground.

"Firaga!" A fireball shot into the icy structure, shattering it and forcing Gilgamesh to flee.

He glared. Three weapons shot with pinpoint accuracy towards Sora.

Saber halted, trying to alter her path, but found herself blocked by several swords.

Sora lifted his blade to parry; the first broke through his guard, slicing his side, but the remaining two scattered away harmlessly.

Saber hurried towards Gilgamesh, sword at the ready, her wounds, for the moment, forgotten.

Gilgamesh swung his portals to track her, firing randomly, two to one side, three straight ahead.

An ice sheet rose alongside her. She leapt, using it as a platform to gain height on her falling opponent. She hurried and jumped, sword drawn.

For a brief moment the two hovered, Saber falling towards the King of Heroes, sword gripped tightly with her good hand, Gilgamesh watching, eyes narrowed angrily.

His expression shifted momentarily, the Gates swiveling to focus on her directly.

 _I won't make it,_ she realized, briefly, and altered her stance, shifting into something smaller, more protective.

The weapons fired. Pain ruptured through her shoulder and side. She flew, twisting, trying to correct herself, Sora's shout ringing dully in her ears. The ground came swiftly, and she bounced, then rolled, grit stinging her face, bruises forming beneath her armor. She eventually came to a stop, panting, wet coating her clothes.

Sounds came distantly. Metal clanged and something like thunder sounded.

Her mind fogged. She tried to assess the damage. _Side._ Her fingers brushed a weapon still imbedded. Her eyes cracked.

Sora stood, braced behind an ice wall, giving her a frantic, concerned look.

 _Get up._

She shook.

 _Get up._

 **-Sora,** the moment he'd seen Saber fall, had constructed a barrier for himself. He wasn't the least bit surprised when weapons hammered his hiding spot hardly moments later.

Saber collided with the ground, some distance away.

"Saber!" He started to move, then stopped, ducking back to safety when weapons struck the place he would have been. He grimaced, shouted, "Thundaga!" Lightning struck around the area, knocking weapons aside.

Saber started to stand, turning dull eyes to him.

"Come on," he mouthed.

She collapsed again.

Sora grimaced, pressing closer to the ice. Cracks ran the length, weapons showing through the other side. _If I could heal her—will healing spells work? I'll have to try._

"Come on, mongrel. I thought you'd be more of a challenge."

 _No holding back._ He lifted his Keyblade, slowly, taking a deep breath. _Heart magic can turn a world against someone._ He jabbed his weapon into the earth, muttering, "Purge." Light bloomed beneath the tip.

The world rocked. Something like a scream tore through the area. Sora's vision blurred and hearing went. He didn't stop to see if Gilgamesh stopped; he ran, sprinting across the ground, and skidded beside Saber, throwing a wide ice dome over them. Blood dripped from his nose and dribbled into his mouth. He wiped it away, placing a hand to Saber's wound.

 _You should know better than to try and control a world, Keybearer._

His head and chest throbbed. "Curaga." Green healing light flared beneath his fingers and seeped into Saber's skin. It soaked into the wound, painting the blood like water, and, after what seemed an eternity, slowly the wound began closing.

"You," a voice growled, and he abruptly cut his magic, dragging Saber tighter under the shelter. Weapons struck the shield; the world, finally, stopped shaking. Footsteps tapped the dome's top. "What did you _do_?"

Saber's eyes abruptly opened. She lunged upwards with a war cry, striking and shattering the ice overhead.

Sora ducked, covering his head.

Gilgamesh released an outraged cry. He prepared to strike back. "You—"

Gems flew and collided with the former Servant. An explosion coated him.

Sora asked, "What was that?"

Rin appeared on the balcony, watching them, Waver just behind.

Sora met her gaze, then nodded, a relieved smile twitching his lips.

Saber landed beside him and gasped, falling to a knee.

"Hey! Let me finish healing you."

"Not now. We still have _him_ to worry about."

Sora narrowed his eyes, then flashed a look to the clearing explosion and Rin beyond.

She gestured.

Sora frowned. He extended heart magic her way. A strange sort of confident smugness pulsed, with an intent focus on Saber. _She wants Saber to her?_ He glanced at the Servant, then back to the Master, and nodded. "I think Rin has a plan."

Saber cracked an eye.

"If we keep him distracted, can you get to her?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He helped her to her feet. "Then let's make this count."

Saber readied herself.

The smoke cleared, leaving a disgruntled Gilgamesh. He lifted his head slowly.

"Blizzaga." Sora shot several copies of the spell, creating large ice walls that stretched from them to their opponent.

Gilgamesh fired, shattering the ice.

"Thundaga!" Lightning cover the area, reflecting from the ice shards with blinding light.

Saber kicked off, moving across the field.

Gilgamesh fired randomly, covering his eyes, weapons flying in a wide, disoriented arc.

Saber and Sora both ducked.

Gems flew, exploding in front of Gilgamesh, sending a shower of dirt and debris.

Sora ran, Keyblade drawn, and burst through the dirt, swinging.

Red eyes snapped open and met his gaze. He parried, portals opening, various weapons turning towards Sora.

Sora swept his Keyblade low to attempt a second strike, shouting, "Salvation!"

The weapons struck him before his attack unleashed. One imbedded in his shoulder, another his waist, another the left side of his chest. He gasped, dragging them free as light haloed him, blooming beneath his feet. Pillars flew, catching Gilgamesh, who released a startled cry. Sora's wounds healed slowly, though pain lingered. He winced, then sprung, shouting, "Blizzaga!" and firing at Gilgamesh's chest, Keyblade coated in fire not a moment later.

The attack struck, swimming over his armor, and the former Servant opened a golden portal near Sora's side.

Sora sidestepped, parrying, and continued to retreat when other portals opened after them.

Something struck him from behind, pain spearing his shoulder. He gasped, and another speared his leg. He stumbled, and suddenly found himself surrounded by gold. "Faith!" He swept his blade upwards, burning exploding through his injured arm, and tugged the sword in his leg free, dual-wielding to try and block, while light rose around him, knocking some weapons away and healing him. His arms ached and his blades moved in a blur, striking quickly, deflecting attacks to less lethal areas. He tried to jump away, his injured leg heal, to cast Curaga on his shoulder, but found himself again forced to retreat by a flurry of weapons.

Gilgamesh turned harsh eyes towards Saber, but was distracted by a flurry of dark, black orbs coming to surround him.

Sora transformed his Keyblade, shooting several blasts towards his opponent.

Gilgamesh turned towards him, and weapons fired, quickly, countering his attacks, too powerful for his small bullets to handle.

Sora returned his Keyblade and activated a shot lock almost simultaneously.

Weapons struck him, then passed through, harmless.

He took a deep breath and focused, honing on his target, a silent clicking thumping in his head while Gilgamesh continued firing weapons. He aimed and fired, streaks of light spiraling from the Kingdom Key, weaving around the weapons in bright bursts.

The attack never reached him; swords and spears and axes and strange shields formed a barrier.

Sora fired again, and again, but nothing broke through, and eventually he relinquished his shot lock's invincibility.

A glimmer appeared above Gilgamesh. A barrier formed, pressing him to the ground.

Sora lunged, sending a Strike Raid.

Gilgamesh slowly lifted a hand and caught the weapon. He met Sora's surprised look with a cold, serious one. "You know," he said, voice low, "I'd considered letting you live, as a gift to my future wife." The portals turned and fired at the balcony.

Screams erupted—Sora wasn't sure if they belong to the people standing above, or to him. For a few moments all he saw was Shirou, or Kairi, or Riku, falling, falling, buried in rubble.

And he moved, scene changed, a long white hall stretching towards his golden opponent. _This is why. You call yourself a hero? You can't save them._

And maybe he had intended to activate his magic, maybe he hadn't, but he felt their pain, their fear, and it riled with his own.

 _They will hurt you—by dying, or not understanding—and you will hurt them. And you will always know._

One dark, shadowy claw swiped towards Gilgamesh. Something cold and sticky welled in his chest. He slashed, darkness trailing, again and again and again, while Gilgamesh dropped the Keyblade, trying to parry.

Wet stained his cheeks. _But is this what you want to become, because of that?_

He stalled, and the shadows trailed away, and he took a deep breath, still crying, trying to force himself to focus.

Gilgamesh gained ground and fired, weapons streaking towards him.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and parried. "Tornado!" The whirlwind surrounded him, catching weapons, throwing them aside, and moving them, determinedly towards Gilgamesh. The former Servant hurried away, but the whirlwind followed, persistent, Sora following him with a dark look.

His arms shook. The Keyblade abruptly disappeared.

Sora stood blinking for a few moments. "What?"

The whirlwind dissipated. Weapons clattered the ground.

Chains appeared, wrapping Sora's torso, his arms, legs, holding him prone.

Gilgamesh strode towards him. "What breed of mad dog are you?" He snorted. "No matter. You put on a good show, but this is where it ends."

Saber streaked towards him.

He had time to turn before she struck him, glowing sword sending him flying.

Sora stared. "You're healed?"

Saber nodded, clutching a hand over her heart. "Avalon." She glanced backwards.

Rin stood, bruised and bleeding but alive, outside the rubble, with Waver calling frantically from above.

Saber returned her attention to Gilgamesh.

His lip curled. "Stand down. I am king here."

"Try what you might." Her sword blazed. She lifted it above her head. "Ex—"

A strange weapon appeared in one of the portals. Gilgamesh gripped it, tugging, the golden hilt covering his hand, black-and-red drill-like blade already turning slowly.

"—calibur!" Saber swung the sword, bright golden light exploding, cutting the sky.

Whatever Gilgamesh planned to do wasn't quick enough. The light struck him, and he screamed, engulfed by the light.

The chains released Sora. He fell to his hands and knees, staring, the light burning his eyes.

When the glow faded, Gilgamesh remained knelt, shaking, panting, armor broken, blood trickling from the cracks. "You—"

Saber took a step towards him.

Gilgamesh's expression contorted in anger a moment, then relented. "I concede defeat, for now." He stood, shakily. "But I won't lose a second time." He fled.

Saber started after him a few paces, then stopped, eyes narrowed while she watched him go. She lowered her sword and closed her eyes, then dismissed her weapon and returned to Rin.

Sora remained still a few moments, ignoring the pain, and took a few moments to simply breathe.

 **-Gilgamesh** struggled through the city. "Kirei. Where did that man go?" He grimaced.

Something slithered along the wall.

He whipped towards it. "Show yourself."

Nothing responded.

"Don't be such a coward that you would fight from the shadows." He tried to move.

Darkness clung to his feet and dragged him down.

He stared a few heartbeats, then summoned a weapon.

Abruptly the darkness crawled up his legs, his body, long tendrils reaching for his face. A burning sensation filled his wounds, seared his skin. His eyes bulged.

Somewhere, a voice whispered, "But that's what I _am._ "

He screamed.

* * *

 _And that's it! Review responses:_

 **RedRat8:** _Well that escalated quickly. I wonder how long are you going to continue this Shirou being a load route because in all honesty he hasn't been doing much at all really. Aside from making things worse it seems._ – At the moment, actually, that's kind of the point. While it doesn't last forever, right now he's going through things that make him doubt himself; make him uncertain that he can really _do_ anything, and wonder if his training's been for nothing and if he's actually grown at all from the kid in that fire. It's something he has to struggle with, and he'll have to figure out how to overcome what he can and cope with what he can't.

 **Parks98:** _I-I am sooooo starting to get tired of Sakura and her fucking paranoia. I swear I know she has a sad background that is so fucking grimdark that it fucks your thought process but come the fuck on!?..._ _I really needed to let all that out. Though in all seriousness I did craddle my head into my heads and say "fuckin really Sakura"_ – To be fair, she's basically been severely abused with no real light for several years; ironically, the first real kindness that she's seen made her snap. (Actually Zouken's goal, unfortunately.) _Can't wait for more and Ha Kirei not even worth killin...though in all honestly Kiritsugu should have shot him in the head the moment he had a clear view of Kirei then double tapped him to make sure._ – Probably; he wanted to make sure Shirou was alright, though.

 **ultima-owner:** _Kirei going to other world is almost as bad as heartless invading. who knows what will happen to the poor worlds he visits._ – Yeah, he certainly has the potential to do some damage…

 **Galer:** _wow she is sakura is even more brokeng (in the psicological sence) that in cannon ( nowing the fact that shirou was never in this reality for her is undesrtandabel)_ – Yeah; Shirou, in cannon, was kind of her lifeline, so not having him did a number. _soo what is your opiniong about bloodborne and drak souls (is you dont now they are video games)_ – I've never played them (or really looked at them…) so I don't really have an opinion.

 _Thoughts or theories? Questions or comments? Leave a review and let me know!_


	72. Uncertainty

_Here's chapter seventy – two! Thank you BakonHawk, ultima-owner, Galer, SonicFan12, phuxeds, and DPSS for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Two: Uncertainty**

Shirou lay curled in his borrowed room, one hand absently clutching his shirt, his eyes lidded. His heart still throbbed. Something cold and uncomfortable stabbed it and weaved around it.

Kiritsugu had tried to speak to him, once, when he'd awoken and found himself back in the Emiya household. He'd known that Sakura wasn't there, that they hadn't saved her—he'd _known_ —but he still asked, and panicked, and wondered why Kiritsugu had that sad, soothing smile, and snapped at the man that if he'd been there he could've done _something_ before abruptly closing off, unable to find the words to apologize, to say the only one he was really angry at was himself.

Neither Kiritsugu nor Rider had tried to talk to him again after that, but he'd heard their voices, quiet outside his room:

"It's shock. He's just going to need some time."

"I know. But, geez, maybe's he's right. I'm a Servant. Maybe I could've at least subdued her."

"You made a judgement call. You can't save everyone."

Illya tried talking to him, too, but he'd felt drained and worried he'd snap at her, too, and so remained faced away and pretended to be asleep. She'd taken to talking through the door, about mundane, simple things.

"Taiga's pretty funny. You'll have to meet her sometime. But don't tell her I said that."

"My homework's so _boring._ Who needs to know ancient history? We can learn plenty about ancient heroes _here_."

"Dad still doesn't like me learning mage craft, except some defensive things, so I'm teaching myself. I'd like to go the Clock Tower, eventually."

He'd kind of appreciated the simple chatter, but after a while she'd given up, too, and left him to his own thoughts.

A part of him believed he was being childish—this wasn't the first time he'd lost people—

 _Not the first time he'd failed._

—but he couldn't find the energy to stir, to train, to do something else.

Footsteps and quiet voices sounded, vaguely familiar. Then, louder, relieved, surprised, came his mentor's: "He's here? Oh, thank God."

Rin's voice followed, "Well, I guess we're all accounted for. Where _did_ he go."

Shirou curled tighter. He didn't want to face Sora, and he _definitely_ didn't want to face Rin.

More quiet talking, and he wondered if Kiritsugu was explaining what happened, and if Rin was angry or sad or both, if Sora disappointed.

The floor creaked. The door scratched. Footsteps came, then stopped, and fabric rustled. For a moment no one said anything.

Sora sighed. "Hey."

Shirou didn't respond for several moments. When he did, his voice was raw, quiet. "Hey."

"What're you doing in bed? That's not like you."

He took a deep breath.

Sora touched his shoulder. "Come on."

He waited several moments, then slowly, reluctantly, uncurled, stood on stiff legs, and followed his mentor.

He hesitated in the hallway, remembering Rin. "I can't—"

"She went outside. With Kiritsugu and Illya. They're going to heal her." Sora smiled encouragingly.

Shirou wondered when the roles had reversed, and followed the other Keyblader into the kitchen.

Sora opened the fridge, shifting some items around, withdrawing eggs and milk, gathering flour and sugar from the cupboards. He smiled sheepishly. "Pancakes are okay, right? I'm not quite the master chef you are."

A small smile tugged his lips. "Yeah." He fished out some butter, vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon.

The two worked silently for a little while, Sora flashing Shirou questioning looks when he began working on a cinnamon filling, mixing the ingredients in a large bowl. There wasn't as much banter or play as there had once been between them, while they attempted to bake or cook together, but the silent comradery was peaceful.

"Sora?" Shirou began hesitantly, pouring his mixture into a small bag.

"Hmm?"

"You heard about what happened with Sakura?"

"Some of it." His stirring slowed.

"I think—I think her heart fell to darkness, like you said Riku's did."

"Shirou, I don't think—" He stopped, a pained look crossing his face.

"What would you have done? If you were there."

Sora sighed and set down the bowl. "I don't know. It's hard to say for certain without _being_ there, you know? And who's to say my method would've worked any better?"

Shirou frowned and sealed the bag, then placed it in the fridge.

"What happened wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known what would happen, either. You can't save everyone, Shirou."

"I know!" His voice came out harsher than he'd intended, shaking and strained, and he forced himself to calm, to speak slower. "But that's—how is it _not_ —I could've _done_ something this time. I could've. Maybe if I'd tried something else—maybe if I'd acted sooner—"

Sora shook his head, slowly. "You'll always wonder if you could've changed things. But dwelling on the 'maybe's' doesn't make anything better." His features twisted, and Shirou, almost, activated his heart magic, until the memory of Sakura's darkness and that strange, twisting chain filled his mind.

His mentor removed a pan and placed it over the stove. As Shirou poured the batter, he wondered if Sora had ever really come to terms with his own history, and if he'd ever be able to get beyond his own fears. He gripped the bowl a little harder.

"I keep seeing things."

The words tumbled free before it registered they were his.

Sora flashed him a confused look.

"Images of people and places on this world, but of events that didn't happen. They feel so _real_ though. And then this voice—female, but kind of like an echo, and maybe not really a voice—told me," he paused, fixing Sora with a searching look, "to ask you why you didn't want me to come back."

Sora met his gaze and remained silent a long time. He looked away, handing Shirou a spatula. "That's what she said, huh?"

Shirou stayed quiet, twisting the spatula.

"That was the world talking to you. Alaya."

"The _world_?"

"Maybe it means your heart magic's starting to peak." Sora grinned, but the look fell quickly. He took a deep breath, seemed to debate with himself, then said, quickly, quietly, "She's why I didn't want you to come back."

Shirou searched his face for an answer, and found nothing.

"She doesn't like you, for no fault of your own. It's my fault this is happening, not yours."

"Are you just saying that so I don't worry?" He retrieved the mixture from the fridge.

"No. You couldn't do anything about, well, any of it. She doesn't like that I passed the Keyblade onto you."

"She doesn't like Keybladers?" He cut a corner off the bag.

Sora snorted. "Understatement."

Shirou began squeezing some of the mixture onto the pancake. "Is that all there is to it?"

Sora's face said 'no,' but his mouth pressed into a thin line. Instead he whispered, "What you're seeing are probably memories, you know. You've always had a special connection to them. It's probably why Xion attached herself to you."

Shirou started. "Why would I be connected to memories?" The dark version of his master flashed through his mind, echoing strange words.

Sora fixed him with a helpless look, and opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then finally sighed, shoulders slumping, and looked away.

Shirou flipped the pancake.

"Guess you're not the only one who wants to save everyone, huh?" Sora laughed quietly, scratching his cheek.

Shirou made a humming sound. He eventually scraped the pancake from the pan and slapped it onto a plate.

Sora continued, "You can't keep blaming yourself for things you have no control over. Trust me, it doesn't get you anywhere."

"But what point was there surviving if I just keep failing?" The words escaped, and he didn't turn to examine the Keyblade Master.

Sora remained silent a long moment. "You think your worth as a person is defined by being a good Keyblade wielder? You're worth a lot more to a lot of people."

They didn't speak again—either empty of words or simply uncertain of how to proceed—and finished the pancakes, drizzling icing over the top.

Sora planted proud hands on his hips, beaming. "Looks good."

Shirou echoed a small smile, some of the tension in his chest easing.

Illya called, "Smells good!" and ran into the kitchen.

Kiritsugu followed, giving Sora an unreadable look.

Sora heaped the pancakes on plates and passed them around. "Dinner's served!"

Rider materialized. "Hey, kid. Doing okay?"

Shirou nodded, then paused, when Saber, followed by a bandaged Rin, entered the dining room. A lump formed in his throat.

Rin met his gaze, and for a moment they remained frozen.

Shirou hand her a plate. "Rin."

Rin's shoulders relaxed. She accepted the plate. "Thanks."

Waver appeared in the doorway, giving a dry cough. "I don't suppose I could join you?"

Sora shot Kiritsugu a questioning look, and when the man nodded, he smiled broadly. "Sure! The more the merrier."

Shirou settled on one side of his mentor, Illya on his other side, and, for a little while, he relaxed.

 **-The** next day proceeded in a whirlwind; Bazett and Lancer met Saber, Rin, Kiritsugu, Rider, and Illya outside the Emiya household, discussing their battle strategy, while Sora and Shirou sparred, Waver watching curiously. Afterwards the group awkwardly tiptoed around the subject of Sakura, instead questioning what to do about the still-missing Assassin and Caster. Shirou expected to be asked about Zouken, or interrogated more about why he'd been with the old man's Servant, but for the time the group seemed to leave him be.

He had little to do but wander while the others bustled about. He eventually found himself practicing in the courtyard, trying to extend his heart magic around him, checking each person, each insect, each living heart that fluttered past him while he moved.

A sheltered heart approached him. "You are not going to join in the discussions?"

He paused, releasing his magic. "Maybe later. There's not a lot I can offer right now. What about you?"

Saber shook her head. "I am still worried about Gilgamesh. I came out to get some air and sort my thoughts."

Shirou gave her a lopsided smile. "I heard a little about that."

"Did you?" She sounded surprised.

"You, Sora, and Rin fought him, right?"

Saber looked briefly troubled, and opened her mouth, then paused, whipping around. "A Servant is nearby."

Rider materialized not a moment later, on top of the house, glaring daggers at a form beyond the gate. "Get out of here, Caster."

"Oh, please. Do you think I couldn't have dismantled your bounded field if I wanted to fight you?"

Saber and Shirou hurried to the gate.

Caster lifted her head, face still hidden beneath her hood. "I came to request your help."

* * *

 _For those curious, the pancakes they were making were cinnamon roll pancakes. Since I'm more or less banned from the kitchen, I just kind of googled the recipe. Review responses:_

 **BakonHawk:** _Kind of assuming Sora went anti because he saw someone else hold his keyblade? Is he really that emotionally unstable at this point? Poor guy. Still, anti is not a good solution._ – Actually, the main reason he went anti—or started to—was because of the combination of going into a flashback and seeing the balcony destroyed, where he assumed the occupants had been killed. It hit on a lot of old fears, especially since a part of him was thinking of Kairi, Riku, etc., when it happened.

 **ultima-owner:** _some dark fiend capitalize Gil being so beaten. the fight was so cool_ – A very familiar fiend, at that. And thanks!

 **Galer:** _What the hell happened to soras keyblade_ – It considered his heart 'weak' at that point, and so it disappeared. _Soooo wo would be more pissed alaya or Gaia for Soras poking the world with a stick(is a bad analogy i now)_ – Both. There are repercussions from that coming.

 **SonicFan12:** _I assume Sora doesn't know about Excalibur if he didn't react to Saber's move with a "Wait isn't that Arthur's sword?"_ – Well, he might know, but he was also kind of in a bad state at that point.

 **phuxeds:** _The Keyblade disappeared? Did he just run out of MP? That wouldn't make any sense though. Was he so murderous that it revoked his rights to wield the Kingdom Key? It is a Keyblade of light after all._ – While pretty close, the actual reason is just because the Kingdom Key believed his heart was weak at that point, having given himself completely over to his despair and his fears. He can still summon it (now), but the fact that it disappeared is something that's sort of a wake-up call.

 **DPSS:** _I'm incredibly surprised Sora did as well as he did, you know, considering how high Gil's magic resistence is._ – Actually, Gil's magic resistance itself, in _Fate/Stay Night_ , is E rank; it's the armor that makes it higher. Since Saber already did quite a bit of damage to the armor, that helped Sora along. _And shit, Saber looks invincible (can't wait for that time she inevitably fails)._ – They'll all of their moments, both of failure and success

 _If you have any thoughts or comments, leave them in a review!_


	73. Different Darkness

_Here's chapter seventy – three! Thank you ultima-owner, Galer, Atlas2000, 21atlasof90, and for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Three: Different Darkness**

Archer stood, perched, on top of the temple archway. The wind stirred his hair and clothes, but he didn't move, watching the forest warily.

Caster materialized beside him.

He stifled a sigh. "Nothing to report."

Caster nodded, seeming, for the moment, distracted.

"So when do you plan to do more than hide?"

"Patience, Archer. We will move soon enough."

"'We'? Interesting choice of words." He gestured to the gateway.

"We're a team, aren't we, Archer?" Caster's words turned silky smooth.

"Please. We're both simply a means to an end."

"Well, that means we're still useful to each other, doesn't it?" Caster disappeared, leaving a few parting words: "I expect an immediate report if something happens."

Archer waited a few moments until she'd left, then projected Rule Breaker. He turned the weapon, considered using it, then sighed. _Well, I'd certainly prefer not to help Caster, and I've seen nothing that would help me further my goal. Perhaps I should simply end this farce and try again the next War._ A bitter taste filled his mouth, but he was nothing if not patient.

Something moved across the ground.

Archer shifted into position, bow summoned, taking aim. He narrowed his eyes.

The shadow shifted again, then moved, shooting towards him.

Archer leapt, firing several arrows in quick succession. _"Caster,"_ he said across their link, _"you might have reason to be concerned."_

He landed, sliding across the ground, then jumped again, out of the reach of a shadowy tentacle. He narrowed his eyes, trying to dredge the familiar appearance from the fractured dregs of his memory.

He landed, firing in a wide arc, and the shadow rose to absorb all the attacks, the center parting slowly to reveal a familiar, white-haired figure.

He froze momentarily, fingers tightening around his bow. _That's right. This thing is Sakura._

Then he was moving again, avoiding streaks of darkness.

 **-Caster** turned back towards the door, agitated. "What is that excuse for a Servant talking about now?"

"Careful, Caster," an unfamiliar voice warned, "you might not like what you find."

She stopped, energy materializing in front of her palm, ready to fire. "Who are you? How did you get past my defenses?"

A hooded man stepped from the shadows. "I hope you don't mind I invited a shadow to your doorstep. I feel a certain kinship to her, and thought I should give her a good place to hide."

"Answer the question."

"I have ways to get through your mage craft." He waved her away. "Besides, I believe you have bigger problems than me. Say your Servant chooses not to defend you from the threat at your gate?"  
"He wouldn't."

Something crashed.

"Are you certain?"

Caster narrowed her eyes and fired.

The man disappeared into shadow.

Caster hurried to inspect the place where he'd stood. Nothing but darkness remained. She hesitated, glaring around the area, and with a quick reminder that she'd already set defenses up around her Master she hurried to the temple gates.

 **-Archer** weaved through the trees, firing periodic shots, while the darkness spiked at random intervals, nearly catching his arm here, his leg there. Sakura remained silent, mostly cloaked in her own darkness.

Archer fired another arrow, then leapt away from a desperately grasping claw. _The best way to stop this is to destroy the source._ He fixed his eyes on the mass's center, summoned a sword, and moved, sliding behind a tree. _"I am the bone of my sword."_ The sword shifted, crackling, changing shape, as he slid into position, fitting the newly-broken phantasm into his bow. _"Caladbolg!"_ The weapon fired, streaking across the ground, cutting through the darkness, aimed directly at the shadow's heart.

The mass moved, arching backwards, disappearing into the trees.

Archer followed suit, returning to his perch atop the temple gate.

The Noble Phantasm collided with where the shadow had once stood, exploding, sending debris in all directions, a massive ball of flame tearing apart the steps, the trees, the shockwave ripping across the area. Archer gripped the gate tightly, watching through narrowed eyes.

The wind faded, still rippling the grass, and the remaining energy whisked away in gradually smaller swirls. Archer scanned the ground, eyes trailing rubble, fractured ground.

A faint rustle sounded. The hairs on his neck rose.

He leapt and twisted, firing a few hasty arrows.

The shadow absorbed them, flicking them away idly.

Archer landed and skidded through the rubble. "You survived," he called. "I'm impressed."

He'd been hoping to provoke some sort of response, but received nothing, Sakura's form just barely visible beneath the whirling shadows. The darkness remained close, not stretching to reach him. _Which means she likely at least sustained some damage._ He went over his arsenal of weapons. _Better to finish this as quickly and painlessly as possible._

 _"Archer."_

His lips twisted into a grimace. _"Caster."_

 _"By this Command Seal, I order you—"_

He stalled, eyes widening.

"— _defend this gate at any cost."_

The power of the Command Seal washed over him. He blinked, then smirked. "I see. Was that permission to use my Noble Phantasm?"

" _If you so choose."_

"Not staying to witness the fight?"

" _I'd hardly be so foolish."_

Black Keys materialized, knowledge flooding from the weapons through his fingertips. He flung them, all the knowledge of their use transferring through his muscles, to accurately pin the shadow in place.

An inhuman screech rent the air.

Archer dismissed his bow. Flames writhed around him, highlighting the stone fragments in an unearthly glow. _"I am the bone of my sword."_

The shadow made a strange hissing sound, starting to edge away.

" _Steal is my body, and fire is my blood."_

It wrenched its tendrils, still pinned in place.

" _I have created over a thousand blades. Unknown to death, nor known to life."_

The flames stretched higher, consuming their battlefield, turning the area into stark light and encompassing darkness.

" _Withstood pain to create many weapons. Yet, those hands will never hold anything."_

Archer lifted a hand while his opponent arched backwards.

" _So, as I pray: Unlimited Blade Works!"_

The flames circled outward, burning away stone, grass, trees, and leaving a wasteland filled with swords.

The shadow pulled away from Sakura's face, revealing a frightened girl.

Archer hardened his heart and lifted a hand, swords dragged slowly from the ground into the air. _This is likely futile,_ he thought, grimacing faintly, already noticing a faint corruptive effect twisting the ground of his Reality Marble. _But I suppose I can at least go down fighting._ He fired.

Sakura screeched, the weapons piercing her darkness, the shadows repairing themselves as quickly as they broke apart.

Archer continued to fire, relentless, eyes focused and hardly blinking, mind silent.

The barrage seemed to last an eternity. Eventually Sakura seemed to realize the attacks' effects didn't last. She looked up, slowly, eyes meeting his.

 _Damn it._ He stopped the attack and moved to dodge.

A tendril shot, faster than expected, towards him and wrapped around his arm. Pain burned, and he gasped, then summoned a weapon, slashing at the shadow. It released him, falling away, and Archer stumbled backwards, settling into a fighting position.

Sakura stared, expression impassive, but something curious lit in her eyes.

Archer wasn't sure, despite the similarities in appearance, that he saw anything of the girl he'd known in her eyes.

"You recognize me."

Archer started, then settled back into position. "Perceptive. Perhaps I fought you, once, in a different timeline."

Sakura tilted her head. "I came here looking for a teacher."

 _That's different._ "Oh, really, now?" _Do I have anything in my arsenal that can expel curses?_ He mentally ticked through his weapons.

"A man who said he's like me told me to come here. I didn't believe him, but I didn't want to go back to Grandfather. Perhaps Caster could train me."

"I'm sure she'd be ecstatic." Rule Breaker came to mind.

"But you seem to know something, as well. Maybe—"

She broke off, abruptly, when Archer slid close, Rule Breaker raised, poised at Sakura's heart.

Tendrils flashed between them, wrapping and Archer. He resisted a few moments, then screamed, his Reality Marble distorting, then crumbling. He slashed Rule Breaker wildly, freeing himself of the shadows' grasp, and stumbled away as his mental world fell to ash.

Sakura remained standing, eyes widened slightly, as Caster materialized from the smoke, her own Rule Breaker drawn.

An unfamiliar figure moved behind the Servant, long shadowy claws stretched, yellow pinpricks glowing beneath a hood. The man slashed.

Caster whipped around. "You _dare_ —"

The distraction was enough. Sakura refocused, one shadowy limb flinging towards the hovering Servant. She temporarily engulfed Caster, and the shadow bulged and writhed.

" _Archer—save me!"_

Energy flooded him, and he stood, Rule Breaker gripped between his fingertips, and slashed at the darkness engulfing the Servant.

She broke free, tumbling down the steps, gasping, while Archer, now devoid of the Command Seal's extra prana, fell to one knee near Sakura.

Caster remained where she fell, panting, then lifted a hand, a spell forming. "You." She fired.

At once a compulsion filled Archer. He moved, Tracing Kanshou and Bakuya, to block the attack.

"What are you doing, Archer?"

The figure—the man Archer didn't recognize—asked, "Don't you remember? You told him to protect the gate at any cost. The way it seems now, _you're_ the threat."

Caster sneered, fingers curling into the stone.

"Well? Are you willing to risk your final Command Seal to reverse your order?"

She fled.

Sakura said, "She didn't help." She turned her gaze to Archer. "Should I kill him?"

"I don't know. I think he'll be more useful if we can get some information out of him. Besides, he's perfectly primed to protect this place."

Sakura considered this a moment, then nodded. "You will train me, then?"

"Not my objective. Besides, I don't know much about _your_ brand of darkness. But maybe I can try."

Archer narrowed his eyes, then bowed his head helplessly while Sakura and the stranger retreated up the temple steps.

* * *

 _And so ends that chapter. Review responses:_

 **ultima-owner:** _the world doesn't just hate keybladers, she wants to eradicate any keybladers that ever existed_ – That's…actually probably an accurate statement.

 **Galer:** _i just hopping that every one survives this crap but Knowing how things ara goint i am starting that not everyone is goint to survive this war withaout a few psicological and phisical scarring._ – Well, I mean…this _is_ a Grail War. _sooo this is hipotetical but can saber (other servants are ok as well) or kiritsugu(you can include Illia or Rin if you want) get a keyblade._ – Technically speaking, if the inheritance ceremony was performed on them, yes.

 **Atlas2000:** _Sora has a reflect spell that reflects all projectiles. Why didn't Sora just use that. I mean its practically the perfect counter to all of Gilgamesh's attacks. Or teleport._ – Largely? Because it's been a while since I've played KHII, and I completely forgot Reflect was a thing.

 **21atlasof90:** _I don't think Sora would have any trouble dodging Gilgamesh's swords. Considering Sora as a teenager dodged and blocked attacks from a sharpshooter like Xigbar and deflected Xemnas' barrage of lasers from every side for several minutes. And that was as a teen. As a adult Sora should be much stronger so Gilgamesh's sword barrages should be child's play especially with Reflect. The magic ability that reflects all projectiles and teleport._ – See above for the Reflect/Teleport thing. As for his abilities, I _did_ have in mind the Xemnas/Xigbar fights, but also had in mind the fact that Gilgamesh still has Servant-level abilities (and is considered one of the strongest Servants for a reason) plus Sora's not-entirely-good mental state.

 **:** Responded through the PM you sent!

 _If you have anything you'd like to say, please leave a review!_


	74. Small Steps

_Here's chapter seventy – four! Thank you DPSS, ultima-owner, Parks98, Galer, InfernalFox, and mecha21 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Four: Small Steps**

Heaviness hung over the Emiya household. Sora, Shirou, and Illya sat in the living room, pretending to be playing a game while actually keeping an ear on the dining room. The remainder of their troop congregated there, talking in hushed voices, and occasionally lapsing into silence.

Illya huffed a sigh, finally giving up the charade. "I don't see why _we_ weren't allowed."

Sora said, "We aren't Masters. Or Servants." He shrugged. "Caster was pretty specific about her conditions."

Shirou was still watching the entrance.

Sora nudged him.

He started, then smiled sheepishly.

Illya puffed her cheeks, then lifted her cards again. "Fine. But I still don't know how to play this stupid game."

While Sora cried in mock outrage—and Shirou attempted to re-explain the rules, looking a bit sheepish—the voices in the kitchen gradually rose in pitch. When Shirou cast a distracted glance their way, a hitch in his explanation, Sora wondered if he'd been using his magic, and was trying to keep track of how their companions felt.

A strange expression crossed his apprentice's face—hesitant, uncertain, almost concerned—then smoothed, and he continued explaining the game.

Sora frowned, but didn't comment.

They managed a few moments of more-or-less peaceful playing—with Illya cheekily holding her advantage over Shirou's head, who had to remind her that her hand was supposed to be secret—before Rin's voice rose, shrill, "And we're just going to _sit here_?"

Quiet voices responded, and hushed whispering continued, but the three in the living room resigned themselves to quitting their game and trying to guess the conversation.

"Whatever drove Caster out," Sora commented, "can't be good."

Illya asked, "Wasn't Archer allies with Caster? What about him and _his_ Master?"

Sora shrugged.

Shirou asked, almost tentative, "Do you think whatever chased Caster away killed him?"

Faint regret and fear twitched in Sora's heart. "I don't know. I'd guess they probably fled, though."

"No," a voice interrupted, startling the three. Caster entered, slowly, shoulders tensed and fists clenched, otherwise belaying calm. "Archer is unable to leave the temple gate."

The three exchanged glances.

Kiritsugu sighed, and they filed into the room.

Sora gave Caster a curious look. She still seemed agitated, but didn't voice her displeasure aloud.

Kiritsugu said, "Archer is Caster's Servant, bound to the temple gate instead of to a proper Master. The being who drove Caster away is Sakura, hidden by the same 'darkness,' I imagine, that Shirou saw overtake her."

Shirou stiffened. "Sakura is—?"

Illya overrode his question. "That's against the rules!"

Sora winced, rubbing an ear.

"Perhaps," Kiritsugu agreed, "but that's a moot point."

Rin said, "These are the facts we have to deal with." Her stony expression—much different from the distressed cry she'd given not long earlier—touched each individual until they focused. "The main threats are Zouken and Assassin, Kirei, Gilgamesh, Sakura, and Archer. Caster has agreed to help us drive Sakura from the mountain, and temporarily agreed to a ceasefire. Sakura is the most _present_ threat, but both Zouken and Kirei have proven that they'll interfere and make things worse. Gilgamesh, for the moment, has gone to lick his wounds."

Rider continued, "So the plan's, basically, to take out her two potential allies before going straight to Sakura herself."

Shirou's expression turned troubled.

Kiritsugu said, "We know where Zouken is. He is, currently, the most dangerous. We'll go for him first, and then see how events unfold. We plan to post watches at the temple to observe activity."

"I'm not sure," Shirou began, then paused, suddenly realizing all eyes focused on him. He seemed to steel himself, straightening. "I'm not sure Zouken's going to help her much, or that she'll accept his help. She didn't seem very happy about being 'used.'" The word strained, but he didn't seem to notice.

Saber said, "But he does, perhaps, know what's going on with her."

Sora rested a comforting hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "But nothing's going to be done quickly, right? Baby steps."

Kiritsugu sighed. "We _do_ need some more information on the old worm, but we can't play any games. First we need to take out Assassin. Then, perhaps, we can work out a way to corner the man. Sora."

He turned, surprised.

"You've expelled darkness before, right?"

He nodded, slowly.

"Then you'll be with us."

Rider rolled his shoulders. "Lancer will take point against Assassin. You, Kiritsugu, and Bazett are going after Zouken. I'm sure they'll fill you in."

He noticed Rider had called his Master by name, and wondered if the Servant disapproved of their plan.

Rin said, quietly, "Saber and I will be looking for Kirei."

Illya huffed, "What about us?"

Kiritsugu said, "Someone needs to stay and keep Caster in line."

Rider huffed. "And I'm here to help, I suppose."

Illya looked similarly agitated. "Fine. I guess we'll just have to figure out how to break into the temple ourselves."

Shirou didn't look as convinced, but didn't speak, and Sora cast him a worried look.

Kiritsugu sighed. "Right. We'll rotate watches. I'll take the first. We'll set out in two days, at night." He stood.

Sora followed, quickly, and pulled Kiritsugu aside when they reached the hall.

Rider's Master gave him a tired look. "Yes?"

And Sora, despite himself, hesitated. He shook his head. The man at the temple was not _his_ son—he was Kiritsugu's, whether the man knew it or not. This was one individual he had to let go of. "I think you should talk to Archer."

Kiritsugu blinked. "What?"

"You saw how he reacted, that night we fought."

Kiritsugu's eyes flickered.

"I think you might be able to get through to him, better than I ever could." He swallowed. "There's something _there_ , Kiritsugu, and I think he needs to hear something from you—something no one else can say." He didn't know how much to say before he started revealing information he'd much rather stay hidden—and, perhaps, the Servant would, as well.

"Is this something he told you, when you spoke privately?"

"Not exactly. But he left enough hints." He smiled crookedly. "Please. I think it'll help."

Kiritsugu eyed him a long moment. "I'll consider it," he relented finally, then turned and left.

Sora hefted a sigh, then rubbed his head.

With the meeting breaking apart, each individual retreated to their own devices. Rin and Saber spoke quietly, still in the living room, while Rider followed Caster, watching her ominously. Illya disappeared, and Shirou left the house, moving to the dojo.

Sora debated for several moments before eventually tailing him.

Shirou shifted through several positions, Vir lifting a falling slowly, arching into a guard above his head, angling to a quick stab and slash, his feet sliding along the floor, until abruptly the weapon crashed into the dojo floor, his shoulders slumping.

Sora watched silently.

Shirou didn't turn. "I can't face her. I can't look at her and know that I—"

"Shirou."

"But I _have_ to do something." He turned, steel in his eyes, and asked, "Is it possible to enforce a Dive to the Heart?"

Sora blinked. "What?"

"I need to learn how to get rid of darkness from people." He glanced at Vir. "I keep failing. I don't want," he stopped, swallowed, "I need to know why."

"You—" He paused, considering. "Are you sure? It's a pretty risky move to begin with, and you might find out things about yourself you never wanted to know."

Shirou's expression shifted, if slightly, but enough to let Sora know he wondered if his master knew something more.

Then his face cleared. "I can't keep fighting the darkness if I don't know what mine _is_."

Sora thought he might know—thought Shirou might actually know, himself, if he stopped to think about it, if he stopped to consider his nightmares—but didn't speak.

He knew very well what seeing your darkness, personified, would do to you, and he wasn't sure if Shirou was brave or naïve for wanting so badly to dive into the deepest parts of himself.

And part of him was afraid—because he knew there were secret truths inside the apprentice that he had yet to realize, that discovering them could shatter how he viewed himself and his efforts, that he might even give himself over to the world's mercy, if he believed that would atone for his own sins—and perhaps, even, the sins of his master.

 _"You would throw everything away to keep the ones you love safe."_

Darkness seemed to trail his hands and turn them into claws.

 _"My friends are my power."_ When had that changed—when had that warped into the fear it was now, into a power of darkness rather than light?

He felt as if he was standing at a crossroads, as if the choice he made here, with his apprentice, would decide where his life would take him from this point forward, and he no longer knew which path was right, and which would leave them both worse than before.

So he took a deep breath, and met his apprentice's determined, desperate look.

He summoned the Kingdom Key.

Shirou started. "So, you'll do it, then?"

Sora pursed his lips, but nodded, his hand shaking around the Keyblade's hilt, a part of him relieved that he'd been able to summon his weapon, a part frightened about what that meant.

He forced his mouth to move. "Sit down."

Shirou obeyed, Vir disappearing.

"Close your eyes." He moved towards his apprentice, gently touching his Keyblade to the boy's chest. "I need you to relax. This isn't going to be comfortable."

Shirou took a deep breath and his shoulders fell.

Sora activated his magic. Light channeled through his blade, into Shirou's chest, touching his heart and winding around it. A study 'thump' resounded, a faint glimmer flickering beneath a haze of uncertain darkness.

Suddenly, despite the chill that ran up his spine, Sora knew he'd made the right choice.

The Keyblade's power seemed to activate on its own. It fused with his own heart magic, and he sensed all the emotions racing through that steady heartbeat—fear, uncertainty, sadness, guilt, determination, hope, desperation, love. He dug deeper, light brushing glowing chains, flickering with images and emotions connected with them, and deeper still, to feelings not even realized, memories long buried, and a single, small core, and the vague image of a stained-glass platform.

Something clicked, like a key turning in a lock. Light flared, filling Shirou's body, haloing and fanning outwards. The boy jerked, eyes snapping open, the light glowing unnaturally from within. Something almost scared flickered within, and a choked sound escaped the boy as his eyes scrunched.

Then he went limp, and Sora rushed to catch him, the Kingdom Key clattering to the ground and disappearing.

Sora slowly lowered his apprentice, then sat. He wouldn't interfere—he'd promised himself that. But despite that, despite his earlier certainty, he wished he could reach into the boy's heart and shield him, to keep him from having to face his own darkness.

 _Oh, God—what if I lose him?_

He wrapped his hands around crossed legs, clenching them tightly.

Something glimmered in the sunlight. Kairi's charm dangled from Shirou's neck, having slipped from beneath his shirt, the stained glass now resting on the floor.

Sora removed the identical charm she'd given him.

 _"I promise."_

Sora's fingers tightened around the star. He took a shuddering breath, then stilled, and waited.

* * *

 _Here it comes. Here comes a very, very long-awaited chapter on my part—and also a lot of world-building and history-telling._

 _But, putting that aside, review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _And as usual, being Archer is suffering. Although I call bullshit on UBW not working. I mean, the only way Sakura beat Gilgamesh in Heaven's Feel was by catching him off guard. And now you're telling that a barrage of weapons surpassing Gates of Babylon in speed couldn't get the job done? Especially when Sakura's actual physical body was there as well?_ – That's called 'The power was out all week but this needs to happen and I'm running out of time.' To be fair, I wasn't a huge fan of the chapter, because it ended up being rushed far more than I wanted it to be.

 **ultima-owner:** _Her darkness is definitely different from the Darkness that heartless are spawn. I'm sure that they are trained in similar ways._ – Well, the Heartless aren't exactly 'trained.' Anti's going to have an interesting time.

 **Parks98:** _Well that escalated very very quickly. Like Archer just Wips out his UBW, it gets shut down then boom now he fights Caster. Surprise I didn't get wiplash from that._ – Yeah, that was kind of due to a power outage, and between trying to finish an article, my other job, and that, I ended up running out of time.

 **Galer:** _Well sakuran being Casters(Medea) student. What could posibly go worng (adsolutely every little thing)_ – To be fair, she drove Caster off, rather than becoming her student; Anti's going to be her teacher, with is still pretty problematic. _Alsoo thing are scalathing quickly_ – Yep; we're getting to some of the parts I've been very anxious to get to.

 **InfernalFox:** _... no comment really. Good job so far._ – Thanks!

 **mecha21:** _Okay i'm kinda confused how power levels work here. How exactly do Organisation XIII compare to the Servants then. Larxene vs Saber. Who is stronger etc. I'm kinda confused what you mean by servants level. Twilight Xemnas is basically the equivelent of Angra Mainyu. The power to destroy words after all._ – A general breakdown would be something like this: Servants, as a general rule, are naturally stronger than humans due to enhancements from the Grail. This doesn't mean that they can't be defeated by humans or that there aren't individuals weaker in certain areas (or, in some cases, about on par with the stronger humans), just that this is the norm for this 'verse. Organization XIII's powers I'm looking at as 'enhanced humans' (much like with Keybladers), with their strength being higher than most humans and some Servants—but not all, and in your Larxene v. Saber question, Saber would be the victor, considering she's one of the more powerful Servants. For Sora vs. Gilgamesh, since Gil is considered _the_ most powerful Servant, I figured he should likely be harder to deal with than Xemnas.

Essentially, if you look at a Servant and say, 'Wow, that's ridiculously strong,' then they're likely more powerful than most of the KH cast. If they seem about average, it's a different story.

 _If you have any thoughts, drop them in a review!_


	75. Chain of Memories

_Here's chapter seventy – five! Thank you Galer and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Five: Chain of Memories**

 _A giant, heart-shaped moon glowed in the pale sky. A hillside settled beneath it, bathed in faint blue light. Below the hill rested a town, newly-built, the residents still just settling in._

 _An individual stood far above, overseeing the town, a large sword clasped in his hands, two keys crossing at the hilt. He tilted his head towards the moon._

 _Someone came behind him and spoke. The man responded, words muffled, and the individual left._

 _The man waited a short while longer. Then he turned, slowly, and left, the strange weapon dematerializing._

 _The heart-shaped moon glowed brighter momentarily, then disappeared in a swirl of clouds._

 **-Shirou** opened his eyes and found himself hovering far above a stained-glass platform. A field of blades filled the background, hemmed by a ring of intricate patterns. A portrait of himself, reclining as if in sleep, pressed on side, with smaller pictures of Sora, Xion, Emi, Melody, and Rai filling the circles nearby.

He righted, falling slowly, until his feet tapped the surface, light flashing briefly, faintly.

Another image—ghost-like, glowing—appeared before him, cloaked and hooded.

"Who are you?"

A strange, disembodied voice answered for the figure, toneless, soundless, genderless, as if the words were being pressed directly into his mind, rather than spoken:

 _Long ago, there was a great light, protected by a great key. One wielder each generation would be chosen to wield this key and protect this light, until one sought to change the course of the future._

 _This is where all worlds began, and where all shall end._

The figure disappeared abruptly. Shirou glanced about, then started when a sword materialized before him. "Isn't this," he paused, memory tugging his mind, "the sword from my first journey here?"

No one answered, and he was left examining the still-floating sword. He hesitated, then extended a hand, fingers slowly wrapping around the hilt.

A glow haloed both him and the weapon. A step materialized at the edge of the platform; further inspection revealed a trail leading downwards. He stared into the abyss, towards the glowing platform far below, took a breath, and moved.

His footsteps tapped slowly, loudly, ominous in the silence, trailed by a faint rattling that he couldn't place.

The second platform differed from the first: six circles clustered tightly at the top, bearings images of a unicorn, a bear, a snake, a fox, a leopard, and a goat. Below them was a space resembling the sword-filled wasteland of his own platform, except Keyblades stood in place of miscellaneously weapons, and a dark blue hue coated the graveyard instead of a pale orange.

 _The man created Keyblades that he gave to his six apprentices, and assigned each with specific tasks. One was designated only to watch. Five became union leaders, and, in their desperation to follow their master's orders, incited a war that coated the world in darkness. Those that followed in their footsteps went a similar path, and from their great struggles, the world shattered, and darkness was born from the hearts of man._

Heartless materialized across the platform.

Shirou tensed, gripping the sword tightly, then abruptly realized the Heartless, much like the figure before, were merely images. He took a few hesitant steps towards the apparitions and let his sword slice through one. Smoke rose from it, then recollected, stabilizing the form again. "Are you saying," he whispered, "that Keybladers _created_ the Heartless?"

The Heartless disappeared. More steps materialized at the platform's far end, something glowing and rattling faintly along their sides.

The next platform illustrated several glowing figures, fighting Heartless in various forms. A giant circle encompassed the top, a heart-shaped moon inside; a smaller circle sat inside, a strange Keyblade engraved within.

 _The Keybearers trained to protect the worlds from their fallen brethren, and from others who fell to darkness's snare. Only the Keyblade could release and purify the darkened hearts, saving them from an eternity of hunger and pain. However, for as long as there is light, there will be darkness, as well._

 _The two attracted each other, light and darkness. Where Heartless were, Keybearers would follow; where Keybearers dwelled, Heartless would soon converge. This cycle made many fear the Keybearers._

Chains rattled. Shirou whipped around, sword raised, but nothing appeared. When he turned back more steps lead him downwards. He glanced about, released abruptly that the steps he'd initially descended had faded, and swallowed. _We go forward._

The next platform had the same circles as before, with a background of strange ships and gliders traveling between stars.

 _The world, once one, became many, each with a unique fledgling heart. Barriers were erected between the worlds, to try and prevent a second catastrophe. The worlds were charged with maintaining their populace and environment, and each heart held immense power; the power to affect their realm, all possible outcomes of an individual's actions buried deep within memories not bound by time._

 _The worlds could no longer interact with one another, and so were forced to form their opinions on the Keybearers that interacted with those on their surface. Some believed that the Keybearers did more harm than good, and grew to despise the order._

 _Kingdom Hearts—the Heart of all Worlds—kept the other fledgling hearts connected, but became forgotten by most, its key lost._

Shirou frowned, expecting something else to happen. When nothing did, he ventured, "What does this have to do with me?"

A door materialized.

He started, and, out of habit, lifting his sword. He belatedly realized he didn't hold Vir, and moved to examine the entryway.

The door opened of its own accord, light spilling over him. The world became washed in white. He closed his eyes, shielding them.

When he opened them again, he discovered he'd been landed at the entrance to Fuyuki Church.

He stalled. He glanced around, but the door had disappeared, and the path behind led only to darkness. He steeled himself and moved.

Light filtered through the stained-glass windows and painted the pews, color flecked across the floor. A man stood at the altar, longer hair, more worn face, but his eyes the same as when he'd held Shirou captive in his childhood.

Shirou gripped the sword tighter. "Kotomine."

The man inclined his head. "What is it that you seek?"

Shirou paused, eyeing him oddly. His fingers tightened around the sword. "To make things right."

The man disappeared.

Shirou sprinted to the courtyard.

He wasn't surprised when his mentor greeted him, older and more tired-looking, but smiling.

"Sora."

"What is most important to you?"

Shirou began to answer, then paused. He thought of Sora, and Emi, and Melody and Rai and Xion and all the others back home, and almost said them; then he wondered if he should say 'protecting others,' or 'making up for past mistakes.'

"I don't know."

While the image wasn't his mentor, the faintly sad look still made Shirou cringe.

"Sora—" He reached to touch his mentor, and his fingers passed through, shattering the image into fragments of light. He pulled his hand away.

Only in hindsight did he realize he'd started to consider the Land of Departure his home.

A female voice asked, "What would you do to reach your goals?" Xion stood in the courtyard's shadows, watching him with a resigned, sad sort of expression.

"Xion." He started towards her. "You said you couldn't visit me here. I thought—everything's so confusing, and—"

She pulled away, and he stopped. She repeated, "What would you do to reach your goals?"

He took a long time to consider his answer. His fists clenched. "Whatever it takes."

She hitched a breath, and her from disappeared.

"Wait!" He started towards her, then stalled, his footsteps tapping loudly, echoing against what should have been dirt, the world taking on a beautiful, lifeless, frozen appearance that abruptly shattered beneath his feet. He fell, darkness clawing at his form, echoes of memories twisting through his mind.

 _What could I have done differently?_

 _Why am I always the one who comes out unscathed?_

The same soundless voice pressed into his mind, vague, shadowed images flashing around him.

 _The worlds were very protective of their hearts, letting few, even Keybearers, interact with them, for if a world's heart fell to darkness, that world and all its inhabitants would shatter. As Keybearers grew fewer in number, the Heartless—who had once been kept in check—began to grow stronger, until they nearly destroyed the worlds, saved only by a boy never truly meant to wield the Keyblade in the first place._

An image flickered of his mentor—younger, but somehow more determined—facing down a younger Riku, shouting, _"My friends are my power!"_

"Sora!"

Chains wrapped around him, cradled him, and deposited him more gently onto an invisible floor. Darkness hemmed him.

A young, quiet voice said, "Shirou." A small boy—red-haired, clothes stained with ash, amber eyes tired and empty—watched him.

"Are you me?"

The boy nodded.

Shirou glanced about, expecting something to appear, but nothing besides inky blackness surrounded them.

"What gives your life value?"

Shirou whipped around to stare, surprised, at his younger self.

The boy stared back, unblinking.

"I don't—my life," he paused, then continued, more slowly, "my life has no value."

His mentor's face flashed through his mind, arguing with him silently.

"Are you sure?"

"If—if I can't be of use—if I can't do the only thing I could've been _saved to do_ —then what's the point of me being here?"

"What do you think you were saved to do?"

He tried to summon Vir on instinct, but remembered suddenly that he still held the strange sword. Instead he answered, "To become a Keyblader, and to help protect my world."

" _Is_ it your world?"

Shirou pressed his lips tightly shut.

"What would you do if someone else said their self-worth was conditional? What about Sora?"

"I—"

"You can't change the past. You can only learn and move forward."

"I need to do _something_!"

His younger self blinked, then closed his eyes, and disappeared.

"Wait!" Shirou moved, searching, but found no sign of the boy. He paced, walking quickly through the endless darkness. "I came here for answers. I need to know how to become stronger!"

The darkness yielded no answer.

"Please. That can't be it." He brandished the sword. "I said I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Well?"

The space almost seemed to sigh, then shift. Small creatures, eyes glowing red, moved in the shadows.

Shirou took up a ready stance. _Are there Heartless here?_

Though their details remained hidden, their shapes became vaguely discernable—lions, bears, elephants, strange lizards and cats, stalking closer, illuminated by a light at the far end.

Shirou's grip tightened around his sword. He lunged.

The creatures lunged with him, a cacophony of sounds heralding their attack.

Shirou swung, screaming a battle cry. The sword slid upwards, scattering darkness. He continued running, turning the swing into a stab, then ripping it downward and protecting his right side. He slashed several times, trying to dissipate the darkness.

The strange creatures crowded closer, nearly blocking the faint light.

Shirou slashed more desperately. The darkness hissed and riled. Several creatures made it through the throng, reaching for his legs, his chest. He backpedaled desperately, then focused on the light and stopped. He charged.

The darkness parted momentarily, as if startled by his sudden sprint. The creatures congregated again, hissing, snarling, long arms and trunks and tails stretching.

Shirou slashed, cutting an arm, parrying a claw, side-stepping but continuing ever forward. His sword blurred, twirling, dipping and stabbing and obstacle, weapon held in both hands. His feet planted and he lunged, spearing a creature and swinging it into its comrades.

Claws sliced his face. The darkness burned coldly. A hand gripped his arm. He tugged, then jerked, hitting the creature's looming face skywards, swinging the sword to strike its arm. He broke free, parrying another attempt to catch him.

More long, shadowy tendrils fumbled with his legs, his chest. He continued running. The darkness converged, coating his sword, his arms, nearly blocking his vision.

 _Move._

He grimaced, tugging, legs straining.

 _Move!_

Something flashed on his chest. The darkness relented slightly, and Shirou freed himself, sprinting towards the light.

He slowed when it appeared the dark creatures had stopped following him. He stood, panting, and absently gripped the charm, still glowing around his neck.

The light spilled across the area, highlighting faintly-visible chains that stretched to it from the darkness. He faced it, and stepped, slowly, within.

For a moment he saw nothing but white. Then the light faded and, slowly, the scene changed to a familiar hell.

Buildings crumbled. Flames licked the sky. Eerie silence emanated, broken only by the faint wail of sirens and the fire's crackle. Remains lay scattered amongst the wreckage.

For a few moments he only stared in horror. He finally coerced his legs to move, racing through the debris. "Hey. Hey!" He skidded through rubble. "Is anyone there?" He scrambled over a rafter, and the structure crumbled beneath him. He toppled across the burning ground. Grit scraped his face and hands. The sword clattered uselessly. He grimaced, and pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

Someone approached through the flames.

"Hey!" He started to stand, then stopped, eyes widening.

A younger version of him stumbled through the wreckage, dead-eyed, tired, stained with soot.

 _Is this when I was saved? Is this when Sora found me?_

But the younger him wobbled and fell. All his memories before the fire may have died, but the moment one life ended and began was very clear. He had never fallen; Sora caught him.

He moved towards his younger self, but was beaten by Kiritsugu Emiya.

The man gripped the boy's limp hand. "He's alive. He's alive!" Tears pooled, and a grateful, relieved look crossed his face, and Shirou had the distinct impression the boy was not the one being saved.

 _What?_

The man's body glowed. What look liked a sheath emerged, hovered a moment, then dissolved into the boy.

 _This isn't what happened._ Something in his chest twisted and ached. _So why does it feel familiar?_

The voice, seemingly quieter—if it could be called that—answered.

 _The worlds safeguarded their memories more than anything. These memories existed not only as events, but as individuals, places. Seeing a world's memories was a rare privilege, interacting with them even more so, and only allowed by those granted a world's deepest trust._

 _Removing a memory from a world, however, was an extremely dangerous act. Memories more than belonged to the world; they were part of the world's heart. Removing one would provide a constant chink in the world's armor. Should that memory fall to darkness, that darkness had a free pathway to the heart, threatening to destroy the world with the stolen individual. And memories, by their nature, are easily affected by the world around them, potentially seeing and absorbing other memories._

 _For this reason, the Keyblade—and those who wielded it—was often deemed too dangerous to interact with memories. After all, a weapon that draws darkness would make the likelihood of corruption higher._

 _How much more dangerous, then, for a memory that wields a Keyblade?_

Chains flashed briefly overhead. The scene changed, featuring Sora catching Shirou, the boy's hand gripping the Kingdom Key.

"I—"

A memory from long ago—of a data version of his master, a knowing look, and an almost-realization—fled through his mind.

"I am—"

The world shattered, and Shirou fell, first light blinding him, then darkness.

 _Do not forget._

His vision flickered.

 _Even shadows can have surprising power._

 **-Shirou** woke to find himself lying next to Sora. His mentor had his gaze fixed ahead, Kingdom Key resting in his lap. The older Keyblader turned to him with a weak, strained smile. "Hey."

Shirou looked at the Keyblade and scrambled into a sitting position, pushing himself slightly away.

Sora's eyes softened.

"You knew. Didn't you?"

A part of him wondered if Sora would understand, but his mentor nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"That's why you didn't want me coming back?"

Sora took a deep, shaky breath. "Yeah."

Shirou crossed his legs, taking the information in, and gripped them tightly. "When did you know? Since the beginning?"

"No. Since we returned again, the first time."

"Why did you—?" He paused, swallowed. "Why did you still train me?"

"Because you're still _you_."

He wasn't sure how to process that—or any of his emotions, for that matter, all of them tangling. "I need some time."

"Shirou."

"I just—I need some time." He stood, and hurried away, and only then did reality start setting in.

* * *

 _This is it. This is what I've been building up to since chapter one—yes, really, I left some very subtle clues there. So now you know why Alaya wants Shirou dead: his existence as a Keybearer is a pretty big threat to the state of the world's heart. There are_ a lot _of hints to this throughout every chapter since day one, to the point where I'm guessing some people may have been able to intuit it. A lot of conversations take on a different meaning in hindsight, too; for the most part I'll let you go back yourselves and look at particular ones, but I would really like to direct your attention to one in chapter 38, where Sora asks if Shirou would miss the world, and he says no, there's only bad memories there. Also, those 'Heartless' Shirou and Rin fought were actually Dream Eaters—Aura Lions, to be exact._

 _Sora figured this out when Alaya was grilling him just before he fought EMIYA. Some of the weird eccentricities of his actions from that point are actually due to that._

 _For those wondering, they_ are _still in a memory. This'll be addressed more directly in the next couple of chapters._

 _So, that bombshell out of the way…review responses:_

 **Galer:** _Shyrou diving in his heart if what Sora says is true is either fenomenaly stupid risk to take OR could be a smarth move (relatively speaking) ...if THAT WORKS._ – Well, it's basically a case of 'this could either help him or break him,' and it really just depends on what he decides to do from here. _Archer and Kiritsugu talking with eacth poder like father and son like in the good old times...why i hace the sensation that the Talking would be akwar_ – It probably will be.

 **ultima-owner:** _I hope that shirou pulls throu this ordeal_ – Well, he's through. His mental state remains to be seen.

 _If you have any comments or questions, I'd love to see them in a review!_


	76. Father and Son

_Here's chapter seventy – six! Thank you reality deviant, OrionGold, Galer, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Six: Father and Son**

Kiritsugu crouched in the tree line. No one wandered the steps. Neither Archer nor Sakura appeared. He didn't think it would be wise to antagonize them; if what Caster said about the Command Seal was true, then civilian awareness would likely matter little.

He shifted to release the tension in his legs. He'd been here for a couple hours already; nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He expected a replacement to arrive within the next hour.

With little else to do he let his mind turn over Sora's words. He'd considered the value of Sora's proposition, and knew the safer, more practical solution would be to remain waiting and watching. If it seemed he was storming the temple, he'd likely stand little chance against the Servant.

But nothing had even stirred, and, if what Sora said was true, this could potentially provide them with useful information, or an ally on the inside.

Leaves rustled.

Kiritsugu swung his gun towards the sound, gazing through the site.

A bird fluttered onto the steps, pecking absently.

Kiritsugu lowered his gun. _Perhaps if I simply don't present myself as an enemy._ Slowly he set aside his gun, removed the knife inside his coat, and stepped from the bushes.

The birds fluttered skyward. No Servant materialized.

"Archer. I'm here to talk."

Nothing stirred.

He lifted his hands slowly. "I'll wait here. I won't get any closer to the temple."

Several moments passed. Finally a wry voice answered, _"Well, aren't you stubborn?"_ Archer materialized, eyes narrowed warily. "What do you want?"

Kiritsugu kept his expression neutral. "To talk."

 **-Archer** couldn't bring himself to be surprised that his father had found a loophole in the Command Seal; despite this, he couldn't stop thinking how strange it was that the famed Magus Killer simply wanted to talk.

Perhaps not so strange, he reflected—he knew, despite fuzzy memories, that Kiritsugu had spent plenty of time with him as a child.

"Well? I thought you had something you wanted to say. Did you change your mind?"

Kiritsugu didn't answer for several moments, eyes flicking over Archer's face. "Why did you react as you did when we fought?"

"Hmm?"

Kiritsugu remained silent.

Archer didn't answer for several moments. He glanced aside. "I think you must be imagining things."

Kiritsugu exhaled slowly.

Archer's lips flattened. This man had never known him, let alone the Shirou of this timeline. He'd faced situations that changed him drastically from the individual he might have been. And yet—

 _He sat beneath the moonlight, grinning at his father, a promise leaving his lips._

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Kiritsugu's gaze slid past Archer. "Caster told me why you're still here."

"Did she, now?" A note of bitterness crept into his voice. He'd discovered, much to his dismay, that trying to use Rule Breaker on himself seemed to go against her command to 'protect the gate at all costs.'

"But I suspect you're not very willing to help."

Archer's lips twisted into a smirk. "I wasn't given much choice."

Kiritsugu studied him, as if trying to decide how to approach him. "How about we exchange some information?"

"You assume you have information I want."

"I'd like to know everything you do about the current residents of the temple. In return, I'll answer any questions you have. Does that sound fair?"

Archer paused, eyes narrowed. "Any?"

"Yes."

"You're banking an awful lot on my good will."

"I'm banking on the word of a friend."

Archer tensed. He searched his father's— _Kiritsugu's_ —face, then considered his options. He glanced back towards the temple. His fists clenched while he weighed his options and then, reluctantly, he said, "Alright. I suppose you know of Sakura Matou?"

If he expected a surprised reaction, he didn't receive one.

 _He's likely figured that out already._ "The girl has been ingrained with a small fragment of the Grail in an attempt to create a 'false' Grail. Zouken likely wanted to control her through a Servant-eating entity known as the Shadow. It seems she's taken matters into her own hands. She obviously doesn't truly understand her powers, however, and is being 'trained' by a strange hooded individual." His voice had gone steely. This wouldn't be the first time he'd had to watch Sakura die. If Kiritsugu could help put her out of her misery—and free him in the same instance—perhaps that was all the better.

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes in thought.

Archer remained silent, turning towards Kiritsugu and waiting for his reaction.

"Do you know their plans?"

"No. They avoid the gate."

"I see."

"Now, I believe you need to answer a few of _my_ questions. Do you know someone named Shirou Emiya?"

Kiritsugu's expression changed, if only minutely, to one of confusion. "No."

He wasn't sure why he'd bothered with the question—he'd known, since that other man had appeared with his father, that his younger self hadn't been adopted by the Emiya Clan, but a part of him had to make certain. Something deep and child-like inside him ached all the same. He ignored it. "Very well. Do you know a boy named Shirou?"

Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed.

 _That's a 'yes.' I would gather, then, that he's at least under Kiritsugu's watch._ He considered if he should ask anything else. He had the main answers he'd wanted. He focused on Kiritsugu, pursing his lips, a part of him still silently sizing him up as a potential enemy, another wondering what life this man had lead, how Illya was doing, if the others—

He cut that train of thought abruptly.

Kiritsugu exhaled slowly.

Archer blurted, "Did you ever rescue Illya?"

Kiritsugu tensed, his fingers reaching for a gun that wasn't there.

The Command Seal activated in the back of his mind, more a warning than an overwhelming force. Still he dematerialized to deescalate the conflict.

Kiritsugu remained where he was for several moments. He back away and fled into the forest.

Archer didn't reappear until Kiritsugu had long left. He sat at the top of the temple steps, staring across the mountain landscape.

Something approached. "What are you doing, Archer?"

He inclined his head slightly. "Guarding the gate. It's what I was commanded to do, after all. Besides, I'm trapped here."

"I see." Silence.

He didn't look back.

Sakura asked, "Did you know that man?"

"Perhaps in another life. I doubt we'll talk again."

The girl didn't move closer.

"You seem awfully curious. Did you finally get over your paranoia?"

He sensed more than saw her recoil. He wondered if she'd absorb him. Or kill him.

Her presence abruptly vanished.

He snorted. "Figures." He remained where he was, unmoving, for a long time after.

 **-Sora** shifted through stances, holding a makeshift weapon, swinging the blade slowly from a position above his head to one at his side, stabbing, backpedaling and parrying. He moved in a circle, weapon poised, and launched a feint to the waist that turned into a shoulder-height stab.

He slowed, eventually finding himself standing, weapon resting idly by his side, a few beads of sweat forming on his brow. He removed Kairi's charm and stared, then clutched it tight to his heart.

Footsteps sounded on the wooden floor.

"Shirou?"

Kiritsugu stood in the doorway, expression passive.

Sora forced a smile. "My turn to take watch?"

"Yeah."

Something sounded off in his voice. His heart filtered through the remains of panic, confusion, and a wary, calculating determination and protective love.

"Right. I'll get going." He moved.

Kiritsugu turned, as if planning to speak, then stopped, shook his head, and let him pass.

Sora left the dojo and searched the yard. His apprentice didn't materialize. He clenched his fists tightly, took a deep breath, and hurried through the household, trying hard to avoid the other residents of the household.

He started when he found Shirou sitting outside the front door. He stalled, staring at his back, wondering what to say, if anything. Eventually he settled for, "Hey."

Shirou lifted his head slowly. "I knew you were there."

Some part of Sora knew he should go and prepare for his watch. He settled beside Shirou instead.

"I've been practicing heart magic, mostly. Just trying to see how much I can absorb. How many other feelings I can understand."

Sora nodded.

"So none of this is real? We're just in a memory?"

"We're in a memory, yeah. But that doesn't mean it's not real."

Shirou's hand fisted over his heart. "Their emotions don't feel any different." He lowered his head, expression contemplative. "But if this is just a memory, does anything we do matter?" His hands started shaking. "Maybe I got the answer I was looking for."

Sora weighed his words. He eventually decided to answer honestly. "Does _anything_ we do matter, sometimes? There are some things that we can't change. Some people we can't save, no matter how we try. But we try anyway, because those people _do_ matter. At least, to us. To someone."

He sensed Shirou's gaze on him.

His fingers tightened around Kairi's charm, then relaxed. The stained glass glinted in the sun. He smiled faintly.

They remained silent for a while. Shirou asked, after a moment, "What were you out here for? Kiritsugu was with you."

"Oh! I have to go for the next watch." He stood abruptly. "Why don't we explore when I get back? If you're up for it."

Shirou started. He offered a bemused smile. "Alright. If you don't get yourself into trouble."

"Me? _You_ seem to be the trouble magnet."

Shirou snorted, but his eyes remained clouded.

Sora reached the gate and cast Shirou back a look. He wasn't sure if what he'd said was what his apprentice had wanted or needed to hear. He wasn't sure if he could really do anything, this time; this was Shirou's fight. But he'd had to try.

He forced a smile, met Shirou's gaze, and left, offering a silent prayer that everything would be alright.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! For most of this chapter, I listened to Peter Hollens' and Jamie Graces' cover of Linkin Park's "Heavy." Go give it a listen. Anywho, review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _i am not sure what Shirou will make of it all-and that is interesting_ – Haha, thanks! I don't think _he's_ quite figured out what he makes of it.

 **OrionGold:** _Wait, so is the Nasuverse World Sora and Shirou return to actually in the Realm of Sleep?_ – Sort of. All memories, technically speaking, are in the Realm of Sleep; the main world itself is not. How exactly Sora got there in the first place is explained in later chapters.

 **Galer:** _Hey Shirpu see the silver lining atleast you are you NOW ALIVE...EVEN tough Alaya and probably Gaia whan you to die Baddly...well shit_ – Yeah, not entirely an ideal situation.

 **ultima-owner:** _the original world was peaceful yet stagnate till the Master of masters tried change that. He did, but at high cost. only way for the worlds to truly be at peace is for balance to be restored._ – True, but it might be a long time before the worlds actually come into balance again.

 _Any comments, theories, or constructive criticism? Leave a review and let me know!_


	77. Friends

_Here's chapter seventy – seven! Thank you reality deviant, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Seven: Friends**

Emi paced the castle halls. She'd been in Radiant Garden for a while now, giving half-certain suggestions for routes between worlds, speaking to several diplomats, and finding herself agreeing to visit one world for a visit, despite herself. Kairi had told her she'd been doing very well; she wished it felt as easy as Kairi made it look.

Currently, Radiant Garden's ruler was speaking with a few members of the Radiant Garden crew involved in inter-world trade; Aqua was supposed to be coming for a visit sometime that afternoon. That left Emi with little to do but turn over problems.

Such as: Where were Sora and Shirou, actually, and why hadn't they contacted anyone?  
Emi groaned and scrubbed her eyes. She trailed from the castle into bright, sunlit streets. She bounded down the streets, between flower gardens, and eventually settled on a bench, pulling a notepad from the pouch at her waist. She tapped it, scribbling ideas for the trade routes and worrying her lip, her mind elsewhere.

Always the same problem: she knew neither Keyblader was where they belonged, but she didn't know where they'd go. She'd asked Kairi, but the older woman had been evasive, refusing to divulge the information and clutching a strange, old charm.

The flowers rustled.

Emi looked up, then yelped, swiping her pen.

The Dusk fluttered backwards, landing awkwardly on spindly legs.

Emi released a heavy breath. "Hello. What are you doing here?"

The Dusk tilted its head.

"Is Roxas here?"

The Dusk turned and wormed away.

Emi watched it, then returned her attention to the notepad, pen absently slipping to doodles.

A hand tapped her shoulder.

Emi leapt to her feet.

The Dusk eyed her, then turned and left again, pausing this time.

Emi frowned but followed it, trying her best the avoid the blooming flowers.

The Dusk weaved through the gardens and onto the streets, checking every so often to make sure Emi still followed. They left the castle grounds and moved onto the cobblestone pathways overlooking the memorial. The Dusk turned into a tunnel, leading them away, into what seemed to be a disused waterway.

Emi's Keyblade appeared, and she followed more cautiously.

Faint, flickering lights illuminated their paths. The Dusk started, then abruptly disappeared.

A few Shadows materialized, yellow eyes glittering.

Emi moved, slicing through a single Heartless, then calling, "Fire!" and sending the other careening into a wall.

The Dusk reappeared a moment later, standing at the tunnel's far end.

"Where are we going?"

The Dusk remained still.

Emi considered going back for Kairi or Roxas; at the very least, she thought she should warn them about a strangely-acting Dusk.

Something that resembled a body flickered ahead, and Emi forgot her concerns and splashed past the Nobody.

A vaguely-visible shape crouched on the ground, form flickering, small, glittering pieces of crystal occasionally drifting skyward. A black trench coat draped the ground; black hair framed a young female face.

Emi's eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you?"

The girl lifted her head briefly, gaze distant.

"Are you related to Kairi?" she hedged, coming a little closer.

The girl murmured, "I'm running out of time." Her voice sounded distant, distorted.

Emi knelt a short distance away.

The girl's eyes fell on Emi's Keyblade. "Roxas."

"Um." She glanced back. "Did you want me to find him?" The Dusk had disappeared.

"Axel." She held her head.

Emi racked her brain for where she'd heard that name before. "Do you mean Lea?" A possibility slowly dawned. "Are you Xion?"

The girl blinked, something becoming more focused about her gaze. "You're Emi."

"Um. Yes?" She fidgeted.

"You—I remember—" She held her head. "Everything's fuzzy."

"What are you doing here?"

"Shirou's gone."

The hair lifted on Emi's neck. After a moment she realized the girl meant 'gone from here' rather than a euphemism, but the uneasy feeling remained. "Yes. He left this world some time ago. Do you know where he is?"

"He's out of my reach."

Emi's eyebrows furrowed. She glanced about, then abruptly realized the girl hadn't answered her question. She hesitantly stretched to touch her. Her hand passed through, and she yelped, dragging it away. _She's not looking good._ She wracked her brain. _Shirou mentioned Xion a few times, but I'm not sure any of us believed him. Didn't Kairi mention something about needing an anchor?_ She started to stand. "I'm going to get Kairi and Roxas. Maybe they'll know how to help you."

"Wait!"

Emi stalled.

Xion's eyes had cleared, briefly. "I'm fading. But, Shirou—he's gone back to his world. To—to somewhere I can't reach." She held her head again, form seeming to flicker with images.

Emi swallowed. "I'm still going to get them. Okay? Then we can find some way to fix you."

Xion smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Emi turned and ran. She activated her magic, using it to teleport her short spaces across Radiant Garden's expanse. The flowers flashed past her, waving in brief flashes, until she launched up the castle steps.

Yuffie greeted her with a puzzled expression. "Where's the fire?"

"It's—are Roxas and Kairi here?"

"I can find them."

A Dusk watched overhead, then disappeared, and Emi had a feeling Roxas already knew.

 **-Emi** sat on the castle steps, hands clasped between her knees.

Kairi said, "It's not your fault."

She shot the woman an uncertain look.

"Xion should've passed on long ago. Besides, she might be alright! She just disappeared for the moment, that's all."

Emi's glance darted away.

Kairi sighed. "Roxas isn't upset, either. Well," she paused, "he made peace with the situation a long time ago. He's still sad, but not distraught."

Emi finally let her shoulders sag. "Okay."

"Don't beat yourself up." Kairi smiled encouragingly.

"Emi!" Melody darted across the castle grounds, followed more slowly by Rai.

"Melody? Rai? What are you two doing here?"

"Field trip!" Melody dragged Emi to her feet.

Rai sighed. "More accurately, she pestered Aqua until she let us come."

"Well, why not? Everyone else is out doing cool things."

"Except Lea, who's training us." Rai poked her. "Besides, they're all _masters._ "

"Not Shirou, and he gets to document a new world."

Emi winced.

Rai shot her a curious look.

Melody seemed oblivious, slinging an arm over Emi's shoulder. "So, how's it going, Master Emi? Those trade routes coming along?"

Emi stuttered, flustered, while Kairi giggled.

"Alright," Aqua said, coming forward, "that's enough."

Emi's embarrassment faded immediately. She stood straighter. "Master."

Aqua's eyes crinkled. "Relax. You're a master too, remember?"

Emi's eyes darted past her.

"Riku had an emergency with some Heartless in the Lanes Between. He'll come visit later, I promise."

Emi's shoulders dropped, then she focused. "Master Aqua, I—"

"Kairi," Aqua continued, as if she hadn't heard, "do you have briefings on the negotiations."

"Yes, of course. They're in my office."

Emi tried again, "Aqua."

She paused. "Yes?"

Emi fidgeted, then blurted, "Did you know Shirou went back to his world?"

Aqua's eyes widened. " _Shirou_ went back?"

Kairi watched from behind, a similarly-surprised expression crossing her face. "But I thought Sora said he shouldn't return."

Aqua's expression turned worried.

Silence hung over them for several moments. "So," Rai said, "I guess we know what you guys were hiding."

Melody's expression had turned oddly dark. "Why shouldn't Shirou go back to his world?"

Aqua met each gaze in turn, then sighed. "Sora never said. He returned because he had a suspect for the increased Heartless activity, but wanted to make sure Shirou didn't follow."

"Well," Rai observed, "that plan failed."

Emi asked, "Should we go after them?"

Aqua's expression turned pensive.

"If Sora's there," Kairi said, "then Shirou's likely with him. There's no reason they shouldn't be there, right?"

Aqua didn't respond immediately. "It didn't respond well last they were there." She cupped her chin. "I've tried contacting Sora, but received no response."

"Then we _have_ to go after them," Melody said.

Aqua lowered her hand. " _I_ will look into things first. Emi has a responsibility here, and I don't want apprentices getting into trouble."

Emi's heart fell.

"What?" Melody protested. "Come _on_! We've had lots of experience by this point."

"I know, but the situation is strange." Her eyes narrowed. "And a wayward apprentice is the major reason for going after them." She sighed, relaxing slightly. "We'll talk about this more later, when I've had time to get a better look at things. Right now, Kairi? The trade routes?"

Kairi still seemed uncertain, but turned and led her away.

Emi, Melody, and Rai remained where they were, giving each other uncertain glances. "So," Rai asked, "is that it?"

Emi glanced after Aqua, her words echoing back. "The world records are available to all masters, aren't they?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I think so."

"And if a master deems a matter more urgent than their responsibilities, aren't they allowed to pursue it?"

Melody grinned. "I like where this is going."

Emi turned. "Let Riku, Donald, and Goofy know what's going on. They'll probably want to know. And then," she took a deep breath, then steeled herself, straightening with all the authority of a Keyblade Master, "we're going after our friends."

* * *

 _So that's it for this chapter! And it's probably not the last we'll see of Xion…_

 _Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _archer kiri talk was predictably painful awkward for both..._ – Yep. Considering the separate origins…well…

 **ultima-owner:** _looks like Sakura is too affiant to leave the temple. "dark" sakura most likely is more than willing to go hunting._ – She might get there after a while, at least.

 **Galer:** _Well te conversation very ok more that i was specting...but meh at least Kiritsugu was not murdered/eat by sakura._ – Yep. Sakura didn't even really plan to leave. _Alsoo Shirou please dont sumon murphy_ \- …Murphy?

 _If you have any comments, drop them in a review!_


	78. Small Talks

_Here's chapter seventy – eight! Thank you Parks98, Galer, ultima-owner, InfernalFox, and for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Eight: Small Talks**

Archer sat, as he usually did, at the top of the temple steps. For the moment, in the darkening daylight hours, he'd taken physical form.

He knew they were being watched; after Kiritsugu left, Sora had come, though he hadn't attempted to approach him. That suited him fine; he didn't know what he'd say. _Perhaps,_ he thought bitterly, _we have something in common. We've both stared at someone we knew who didn't know us._

The forest remained quiet. Faint noises—traffic, mostly—radiated from the city further beyond.

Sakura asked, "Why are you still guarding the gate?"

Archer snorted. "Didn't you hear Caster? She commanded that I should protect the gate at any cost. I have no choice."

Sakura remained silent for several seconds. "You seem familiar. I feel like I should know you."

"Really. Can't imagine why." His gaze flicked to the trees, where Sora still watched.

Sakura remained half-hidden, crouched in the temple shadows.

"If you're so terrified of me, why not just absorb me and be done with it? Surely you know a Servant under the Shadow's control would be more compliant." He didn't know if honest curiosity or frustration made him reckless.

The girl didn't reply, but the silence spoke volumes.

"So you didn't know."

Sakura edged closer. "How did _you_?"

"I've experienced a lot during my time as a Servant."

Sakura stopped, eyes meeting his, and shrouded herself.

Archer smirked and turned away. "Why don't you just go back to your temple? I have no business with you."

More silence. The world became warmer, less foreboding, and Archer realized abruptly that Sakura must have left.

He eventually met Sora's gaze. The man had stepped into the light, his expression conflicted, but when he turned towards Archer he seemed unsurprised. Archer held his eyes a few moments, then looked away.

Quiet talking reached him. Sora left, replaced by Rin, and Archer clenched his fists. He wanted to ask if they enjoyed their sightseeing, but refrained. Maybe he didn't want to stay at the gate, after all.

Footsteps approached.

Archer leaned back. "And here I thought I'd have a _quiet_ night."

The man remained quiet.

"Oh? Maybe I was right. Just here to stare, then? You have plenty of competition." He gestured to the trees.

The man laughed, and the sound rang vaguely familiar. "You're an interesting man, Archer."

"That's quite the statement, coming from you. You finally decided to stop sulking in the temple?"

"'Sulking' isn't the word I'd use." He paused, but spoke again before Archer could form a response. "We're actually quite similar, you know."

That gave him pause. He digested the information. "Really."

"Can't tell if you believe me or not." His footsteps drew closer. "But yeah. Just not in a way that'd make us a good team."

Archer shot the hooded man a sideways glance.

Yellow eyes glinted beneath the black. "We've both had hard lives, struggling with our own darkness and the darkness of others. And we both have _alternates_ we need to dispose of."

He noted the odd knowledge this man possessed and filed it away, muscles tensing in case he needed to act. Then the man's word choice knocked something in his mind, and he queried, "'Need'?"

The man was silent several moments. "I don't particularly dislike my other self. I'm still angry—angry that he got to live a life I couldn't, that he doesn't realize just how _cruel_ the world can be. But I can't hate him. That's not his fault. Besides, what would it serve me?"

Archer wasn't sure how to respond to that, and so remained silent.

"But it's not like it'll _hurt_ me to see him gone, either." He shrugged. "If I need to break him to get my second life, fine. I'll do what it takes."

The hair lifted along Archer's neck. "You're awfully talkative on the subject."

"I find not a lot of people would understand." Those eerie yellow eyes caught his with an intense stare that made him want to summon his swords. "I'm not even sure _you_ understand just how deep true darkness is."

Archer watched, tensed warily, ready to attack if needed, feeling suddenly, inexplicably afraid.

But the man turned, hands shoved into large pockets. "Well, not like it matters. Good night, Archer."

Archer turned incorporeal the moment he left.

 **-He** hadn't expected Sakura to venture out during the daytime.

The girl remained hidden in shadow, far from where people could see her, but watched. Few people traversed the grounds today; Archer suspected Sakura's presence had something to do with that.

He huffed and materialized. "I didn't peg you for a people-watcher."

Sakura didn't start or speak.

Archer eyed her, wondering for a moment what had come over her, and if she'd decided perhaps she needed more power. But, then again, if the girl wanted to attack, she would have. Perhaps she didn't even know she _had_ the ability to absorb normal people. Some bitterness slipped into his voice as he muttered, "You don't even have a goal, do you?" Ironic, he figured, that he would be chained to a broken shade that didn't have any direction.

Sakura didn't flinch or turn. Instead she murmured, "I like not being seen."

Archer shot her a confused look.

"It means they can't use me." She lifted a hand, shadows trailing around her fingers. "I'm free."

Her voice sounded hollow. He wondered if he should strike, right now, and put her out of her misery.

He stayed his hand. A part of him recognized that sad gaze, and remembered a lonely girl who he'd once befriended, and remembered, almost as an afterthought, that Shirou Emiya had not existed in this world.

While he absorbed this strange information, Sakura said, "That man doesn't want to use me. He wants to teach me."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself."

Sakura remained silent.

Archer shook his head. "Fine. I'll leave you to your silence." He faded, but a strange, uncomfortable thought continued nudging the back of his mind.

 **-Archer** knew the man was training Sakura that night. Not that he could _see_ them, but a faint, dark energy radiated from the temple.

Restless eyes fixed on Archer's spot. Whoever watched hid well, but he still heard their rustling, and gave the trees a pointed glare. "Your stealth could use some practice."

No one responded. He wondered if perhaps his younger self had been sent to watch.

He stood, tired of being stared at, and stepped as far as he could into the temple grounds.

The shadows flickered at the far end. Sakura materialized, but didn't come closer. "Why did you come inside?" Her voice was pitched high with worry.

A smirk twisted his lips. "Perhaps I don't like being seen, either."

She bristled, darkness coming from her in waves.

They faced each other for a while. Sakura eventually stated, bluntly, "You tried to kill me."

"Yes."

"How do I know you won't again?"

"You don't." Maybe it was the _finally getting fed up_ with this strange timeline, or maybe it was a desire to be honest, or maybe it was some remnant of Shirou Emiya still reaching for a friend, that made him speak the words. Maybe he was still considering ways to kill her. Maybe a small, still-human part, buried deep, hated himself for it.

Sakura pulled away, looking like she wanted to attack.

"Easy," the hooded man said, barely visible. "He's more useful alive than dead."

"He said I could absorb him." She turned partway back, but her voice faltered. "And turn him into my _own_ Servant."

Archer wondered if her attacking him would activate Caster's Command Seal. Perhaps he could try again, or, at the very least, find a way to circumvent his prison.

The hooded man asked, "Did he tell you that?"

She didn't answer, but the aggressive spike seemed to die. She shot Archer one last invisible look and disappeared.

Archer asked, "What are you playing at?"

"I told you. You're more useful alive than dead."

Archer found guarding the steps a more unnerving task the remainder of the night.

 **-He** hadn't really expected to see Sakura emerge in the day a second time. This time she seemed intent on hiding from _him_ , as well.

He sighed. "I know you're there."

She didn't stir.

"There's no one here besides me."

Still she remained hidden.

Archer snorted and looked away. "Fine. Hope you enjoy." But it _wasn't_ fine; Archer had been unnerved since Kiritsugu had tried speaking with him, and now the waiting and the watching and the strange, dark presence that loomed behind him made him antsy.

Perhaps it was the desperate desire for something to do—a goal, anything, to pass the time—that made him ask, "What do you want from this, Sakura?"

He sensed more than saw her start. She didn't speak, at first, then ventured in an echoed voice, "You recognized me."

"Yes. We've been over this."

"But you know my name."

"You pick up some things, when you fight an opponent enough times."

Silence.

He found himself drawn into reminiscing, bittersweet. "I've been forced to kill you countless times—or you've killed me. All for the good of the world. Because you'd been hurt. But I've also seen you overcome everything, and live happily. So. What is the goal here? Why learn about these powers, if you're clearly not interested in using them?"

She didn't answer for several moments. She crept closer. "What do _you_ want?"

He paused. "I want something I'm not sure I can obtain in this timeline." He smiled grimly. "Perhaps that's another thing we have in common."

To his surprise, the girl settled across from him, shadows still present. She didn't speak, but Archer found himself thinking about the girl he'd known, and remembering how many times he'd had to end her, and realizing this time things had almost been arranged to where he couldn't.

A faint image of a man, and the faint echo of a dream, ran through his mind.

 **-He** made an effort to find Sakura that afternoon. Not a particularly easy task, he soon realized, since he couldn't move very far into the temple grounds, where Sakura was most likely to be located.

He eventually discovered her hiding in the shadows just within the temple wall, and couldn't help blurting, "What are you doing _there_?"

For once it seemed he'd managed to sneak up on her; she flinched, whipping around to face him. "I was relaxing."

He blinked. "I see."

"What were _you_ doing?" she asked, almost sheepishly, eyeing him nervously.

He shrugged. "I was bored. Since there's nothing much to do, I thought I would examine the temple grounds." He settled.

Sakura sat, a bit uncertainly, before him.

He fixed her a look, and found he didn't know where to begin. Eventually he suggested, "I suppose we could talk to pass the time."

She blinked. "I suppose."

A few seconds passed. Archer rubbed his neck. "Alright. Well. What do you like, Sakura?"

She blinked.

"What do you like doing?"

She paused, seemed to consider, then gave him a blank look. "I'm not sure."

Archer huffed, wondering if this was a good idea, after all, when Sakura asked, quietly, "But I would like to know about these other me's. The ones that you knew."

He narrowed his eyes. "The ones I fought?"

She seemed to consider this, then shook her head. "The ones who were happy."

That gave him pause. "Well. There was one version I knew of, a long time ago." His voice grew distant, more wistful. "She became friends with a fool who dreamed of becoming a hero. They weren't close at first. He'd been the one to insist that she come over, after rescuing her from a group of bullies. And then he'd insisted, again and again, afterwards, encouraged by his guardian."

Why now, he wondered, did such insignificant memories come back to him? He cast a glance to the girl across from him.

 _Maybe it's fate._

"They had a simple relationship. They cooked together. For a while they were in the same club."

"Did the boy ever know?"

"Hmm?"

"About," she paused, "about her past?"

Archer eyed her. "Not until much later." He glanced aside. "Regardless, that Sakura grew up to marry a nice man and escape her family. The boy drifted away from her."

"Did you know the boy?"

"We were…acquainted."

Sakura nodded, absorbing the information, and then murmured, quietly, "Where was this boy for me?"

And some part of Archer that was still Shirou Emiya whispered, _Right here._

 **-No** one appeared on the mountain that night.

Archer stood this time, shoulders tensed, unnerved more by the disappearance than by the watching. He'd traced his bow, and clutched it so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Archer," a voice ventured quietly.

"Shouldn't you be inside?"

Sakura approached, but didn't come close enough to touch. "Is that to kill me?"

"No. Our visitors for the past few nights have disappeared."

Sakura remained silent several moments. "Oh."

He glanced back towards her. "Is something on your mind?"

She shifted, looking uncertain, looking as if she expected to be attacked at any moment. "I was wondering if you'd like to talk again."

He stared, and she wilted, growing smaller as something cold inside him cracked.

He dismissed the bow and looked aside. "Well, I suppose I need to do _something_ to pass the time."

That was the first genuine smile he'd seen from her, however small it was.

They still kept a careful distance—each still wary of the other, still wary of what could come up the mountain—but ended up talking quietly long into the night.

* * *

 _Something of a transition chapter here. Archer and Sakura won't appear again for a few chapters, so I figured this would be a good time to address what exactly is going on while the events of the next several chapters unfold. Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _Ohhhhh! This is going to get really good, things are starting to hit its pinnacle point!_ – Yep! We're heading towards the climax, and there's going to be quite a bit of action from here.

 **Galer:** _O my poor Xion...this chick cannot take a brake.._ – Xion's had a rough life. I _did_ mention this isn't the last we'll see her, though.

 **ultima-owner:** _So Xion materialized in the real world?_ – Yep! Technically speaking, in this form she's a sort of 'ghost;' if she hadn't had an anchor to begin with, she could have materialized like this before. (She actually did, a couple times, before attaching herself to Shirou, but it wears her out.)

 **InfernalFox:** _It's like bbs all over again, kind of._ – In some ways, yeah.

 **:** _I'm spending way too much time picturing various people as keybladers. Sakura's unlimited mana style of magic, Rin's mastery of the elements and gandr shot, kotomine's darkness enhanced melee, illya's sheer overwhelming power._ – It'd actually be really fascinating to see all the different Fate characters as wielders, considering just how unique each fighting style would be. (Let's start a Keyblade school in the Fate universe!)

 _If you have anything you'd like to say, just drop a review and let me know!_


	79. Infestation

_So early update this week! That's because I know I'm going to be up late tonight helping with a fair (face painting), and I have a very early morning at work. Needless to say, I figured I'd be too tired in the morning to feel motivated to update. So you guys get this a day early._

 _Thank you reality deviant, Amatsumi, ultima-owner, Parks98, Galer, InfernalFox, and 24lightsofsaber for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Seventy – Nine: Infestation**

Sora resisted the urge to summon the Kingdom Key, waiting somewhat restlessly for the rest of the group. The stars flickered in the night sky, and Sora wondered idly if they were reflections of the worlds or their memories.

Kiritsugu stood outside, smoking, silently watching to road.

Illya's face appeared in a window, staring intently. Shirou failed to materialize.

Saber and Rin had left a short while ago, planning to stop at Rin's mansion first, then make a circuit of the city.

Bazett and Lancer finally arrived, street lights illuminating them. Bazett asked, "Ready?"

Kiritsugu pushed away and nodded.

Sora cast a look towards the house, then stepped away. "Let's get started."

The four left, a tense silence running between them. Lancer kept on lookout, leaping across various high vantage points, while those on the ground remained wary. The darkened streets seemed eerily quiet, lurking with shadows that almost seemed to move.

Sora took a deep breath and pushed his private worries aside. _Focus on the present._

The Matou household appeared on the horizon, hemmed by the night sky. Sora summoned the Kingdom Key.

The group stopped. Lancer landed a short distance away.

Bazett gave him a glance, then nodded.

The Servant sprang into action, leaping into the yard. Bazett followed a moment later.

Kiritsugu and Sora remained outside. Kiritsugu removed a gun from his coat, preparing it. He nodded.

Sora activated his heart magic, allowing it to flow through the area. Hearts pinged; several in the basement, one upstairs, one lurking in the living room. Sora sent a sharper wave of magic, and found no sign of the missing heart. He shook his head.

"Assassin has presence concealment. If he's incorporeal besides that, then it's likely you won't be able to sense him. The others?"

"Zouken's upstairs. Shinji's in the living room."

"Right." Kiritsugu lifted his gun.

Sora commented, "Guess there's no point playing by stealth." He lunged, shouting, " _Aeroza!"_ The wind spell ripped apart the ground and gate, sending debris flying, while Sora and Kiritsugu rushed onto the property.

Lancer and Bazett had disappeared; Sora assumed they were likely already in the house.

The Keyblade Master focused a strong tether of heart magic on Shinji. Resentment and fear and a desire to prove himself flooded through the link. Sora concentrated and mingled several of his own feelings, sending them across the link, with a single, concentrated meaning: _Come._

The wind spell faded. Assassin, thankfully, didn't appear; the lawn remained quiet, save for a faint buzzing that tingled through Sora's ears. He unlocked the door, Kiritsugu watching his back, and they entered.

The house's interior seemed oddly quiet. Through Sora's tether he sensed Shinji coming closer. Sora breathed deeply, then set up several mine spells. The circles flared, then faded, blending into the ground.

Kiritsugu readied his gun, gaze sharp.

"He's coming," Sora warned. "Don't scare him."

Shinji appeared abruptly, swinging a book and shouting a war cry. He hardly made it a couple steps before he'd touched a mine and flew backwards.

Kiritsugu was there to catch him in an instant, holding the gun to his head.

Shinji froze, staring wide-eyed.

Sora asked, "How was _that_ not scaring him?"

Kiritsugu gave him a dry look.

He rubbed his head, and guessed he probably should've tried warning Shinji about the mines. He shook his head and cast a glance about, but, for the moment, Assassin hadn't appeared. _Either he's hiding,_ he thought, _or he really_ is _putting the priority on protecting his Master, like we thought._ Either way, he knew Zouken had likely known about their involvement long before Sora's magical display; they'd have to talk fast. "Shinji. Hey. Look at me."

Shinji's eyes twitched. The buzzing increased faintly, like ever-present static.

"You were Berserker's Master, right?"

Shinji's lips curled. " _That_ useless Servant. I'm better off—"

Kiritsugu's grip tightened, and Shinji gagged.

"I can imagine how frustrating it must have been. How would you like to do something that would finally prove yourself?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes, but, despite the suspicion, curiosity wiggled within.

"We need to know about Sakura. What can you tell us about her?" Sensing the anger bubbling, he added, "We might be able to fix things. Get her healed and out of the house, and get you some real experience." He gestured to Kiritsugu, and the other man released.

Shinji stumbled and gasped, rubbing his neck. He gave Sora a wary look. "What can _you_ do?"

"We know where Sakura is. You can help us stop her. You could be a hero."

Shinji still didn't seem convinced.

"A magus, then." He glanced towards Kiritsugu for confirmation.

Shinji snorted bitterly, looking away. "Yeah, right. If you're not born with magic circuits, then you can't use magecraft. As Grandfather likes reminding me."

"Are you going to let that stop you?" The clock seemed to tick in the back of his mind; any minute now, he suspected, Zouken would send Assassin after them, and they'd have to switch tactics. He forced a smile. "Come on. I thought you were stronger than that."

"I _am_."

"Then prove it." Sora extended a hand. "You can help us. We could really use you, Shinji."

Those words stirred a surprised, warm feeling from the young boy. He glanced at Sora's hand, questioning.

Sora continued, "You don't have to be anyone but who you are."

Shinji hesitated, and Sora sensed, very faintly, a light beneath all the darkness. _Who might you have been,_ he wondered, _if you'd had a different life?_

The buzzing grew louder, and Sora began to realize it might not have been his imagination.

Kiritsugu jerked, eyes narrowed.

Sora whipped around. The buzzing became an almost constant chatter. He released his tense hold on Shinji's heart to send a wave of magic outwards. Thousands of tiny hearts flickered, rushing towards them. "Bugs!"

Kiritsugu moved, dragging Shinji into their barrier.

The floor seemed to move. The insects moved in a living blanket, covering the floor, the walls.

Sora shouted, "Thundaga!" Lighting speared the ground, ripping wood, illuminating the hoard.

Several high-pitched, inhuman screeches rose. The bugs crawled around the wreckage, swarming towards them, chittering loudly.

Kiritsugu lifted his gun and fired.

Sora growled, "Blizzard," and sent several small ice spells towards the approaching hoard. He offered a tight smile. "I thought Assassin would be sent after us."

Kiritsugu said, "Guess he had other plans."

Shinji stammered, "Wha—is he, protecting, or— "

Sora gripped the Kingdom Key tighter. He growled, "Thunder," and several more lightning bolts speared the bugs.

Kiritsugu shot several more rounds, blasting bugs into the air.

Sora sent a wave of ice, freezing a wall in front of them. He set several more mines around the area, preparing.

The chittering grew louder. Faint shadows appeared through the ice.

Sora asked, "Got any plans?"

"Head for the stairs. We need to get Zouken and get out of here."

Sora nodded. He activated his heart magic, flaring it across each individual heart, and attempting to send fear across the link.

Darkness and mindless hunger flooded back, as well as a malicious calm. The hair lifted on Sora's neck. He broke the link.

Kiritsugu had already caught Shinji's arm and dragged him away.

Sora backed after them. "Blizzaga!" An icy wall spread across the hallway. Several explosions sounded as the bugs tried to cross. Light flared, illuminating the ice with eerie shadows.

Something dropped on Sora's shoulder. He yelped, flicking the creature away. The bug twisted, hissing, as it flew. Several more appeared from the walls, creeping between cracks, across the floor.

Kiritsugu shot, stopping several that inched towards them.

 _Wait._ He turned, raced towards Kiritsugu, and caught him, swinging his Keyblade and shouting, _"Stopza!"_

The world seemed to freeze. The bugs slowed and stopped. The clock hands stopped ticking.

Shinji gave him a wide-eyed stare. "What did you do?"

Sora shrugged. "Magic."

Kiritsugu was giving him a similarly appraising look. He shook his head. "Never mind. How great is the range of effect?"

"Hopefully, the whole house. But we have a time limit."

Kiritsugu murmured, almost to himself, "And Assassin likely doesn't have high enough magic resistance to function." They hurried up the steps, and he added, "What room is Zouken in?"

"Take a right. He's the last one."

They turned sharply and hurried towards the large, foreboding door at the hallway's far end.

Inside the action had stilled. Zouken sat, hunched in a chair, a vaguely gloating expression on his face, half his arm fracturing into tiny insects. The walls were coated in the small creatures.

Lancer grimaced. "About time you got here. Mind explaining what's going on?" He had several, shallow wounds, and his eyes flicked warily towards the walls.

"Don't let your guard down," Bazett warned. "Assassin could attack again any second."

Sora shook his head. "Just get Zouken so we can get out of here."

Lancer and Bazett both shot him surprised looks.

Kiritsugu nodded.

Lancer prepared, eyeing the shadows, while Bazett hefted the frozen elder.

Sora said, "We'll only have a few minutes to get out of here before the spell wares off."

"It's enough," Bazett said.

Lancer said, "I'll cover you. I want to make sure that worm's slippery friend doesn't follow."

Shinji looked between all of them with a conflicted expression. "You're just—you can't just _take_ him—"

"Come with us," Sora interrupted.

"Huh?"

Sora forced a smile and extended a hand. "Come with us. I wasn't lying when I said we could use you."

Shinji glanced from Sora's hand to his face and back.

Lancer tensed. "Come on, boy. Make a decision. We don't have all day."

Shinji hesitated a moment longer, then accepted the offered hand.

 **-Sora** remained wary while they examined their captive.

They'd gone some distance away to a 'safe house' Kiritsugu had procured, strapping Zouken to a chair. Kiritsugu kept an Origin Bullet aimed at the man's chest. Despite the situation, the man seemed hardly affected.

Dark eyes slipped past them, towards the near-hidden Shinji. "So, you've proven worthless, after all."

Shinji flinched backwards.

Bazett growled, "That's enough. We have some questions for you."

"Or I'll have my circuits destroyed?" He gave Kiritsugu a dry look. "I'm afraid it seems like I have little choice."

Sora narrowed his eyes. _Something's off._

"What's wrong with Sakura?"

"There's nothing 'wrong' with her. She is meant to be an artificial Grail, implanted with a piece from the shattered Grail last War. Her Origin affects her form."

Bazett narrowed her eyes. "How do we stop her?"

Zouken barked a laugh. "What do you expect to do? Kill her? Save her? There is nothing in your power you can do."

Kiritsugu pushed the gun closer.

"Do you truly think I'm expendable? Because you have the boy?" He chuckled, the sound grating, uneasy. "I know that's the only reason you coerced him into this. Or do you truly believe you can save him, too?" He met Sora's gaze, and a shiver ran through his arms.

 _Darkness. There's a lot of darkness radiating from this man._

Kiritsugu cocked the gun.

Zouken laughed again. "Oh, I know full well what your bullets can do, Magus Killer. Unfortunately, I've been dabbling in a few secrets of my own. I've discovered something _quite remarkable_ hiding in the shadows while looking for my granddaughter."

The earth shook.

Sora whipped around, summoning the Kingdom Key, darkness suddenly flooding his senses like a warning. "Look out!"

A massive creature exploded from the ground—multi-legged, bug-like head, several spikes lining the back of its dark body. A broken heart emblem was emblazoned on its forehead.

Zouken purred, "There's my new weapon."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _there is something about the dynamic of interaction between Sakura and EMIYA!Archer that just strikes me as bittersweet, and wonderful... I loved their uncertain interactions here, and hope they will get a happy end, maybe together? (romantic or platonic)_ – Yeah; I figured they'd make quite an interesting pair, considering neither are bad people, they're both pretty broken, and they could each really use a friend. You'll have to wait and see on the other part~

 **Amatsumi:** _I gotta be honest. As I followed this fic, this chapter is my favorite for a long while._ – It's actually mine, too.

 **ultima-owner:** _this is a nice slow chapter before the storm hits_ – Yep. Quite a bit of action from here on out.

 **Parks98:** _DAMN IT FEEEELLLLLLSSSS! On one hand I feel like this chapter was very much needed for the story and on the other hand I hate it because of the FEEELLLLLSSSS! So good job on that._ – Haha, goal achieved. _Also for the whole "everyone is a keyblade wielder" I can't help but think of that one star wars chapter in the new comics that had R-2 give everyone a lightsaber and Han instead wanting a blaster._ _I feel like for Sakura some little facts is that her element is water…so she would most likely use water magic. For the whole "unlimited prana" I feel like anyone would just use it to spam large scale attacks (I know I would)._ _For Rin I could see her fighting somewhat similar to Aqua being a much more traditional magus/magic user. Medium to long range engagements, but since she does have reinforcement and her martial arts training she could still be dangerous in close quarters. Kirei...no just no. He maybe alright with it but he's got plenty of tools already to ruin someone's day._ _Illya (and Iri) would use that crazy string magic they have. Illya could make crazy bird familiars and those swords while Iri can just make a giant fist to crush you. They are a lot more "traditional wizard" like in the fact that you can't really see them fight in close quarters._ _Kiritsugu would probably only use it to lock and unlock things while using it as a surprise weapon when he has nothing on him._ – I ended up copy/pasting most of this because these are all really neat ideas! It'd be fun to see some of the older characters in mentor positions, while the younger are in (semi-reluctant) apprentice positions.

 **Galer:** _Thats was..hearwarming? In a extrange way ...looks like sakure has somebody to support her afther all(even if said somebody would murder her if she ever lose control of his draknes)_ – Yep! She at least has a sort-of friend here.

 **InfernalFox:** _Have you seen the new kh3 trailer?!_ – Yes, and I'm super hyped about it! July can't come fast enough…

 **24lightsofSaber:** _Okay so how would Hercules, Hades, Genie Jafar compare to servants then considering they are pretty much gods who Sora has defeated. How would Sephiroth, Cloud and Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy 7 compare to Gilgamesh and other servants like Archer, Lancer and Saber then. Three other swordsmen Sora has fought on par with. Sora defeated Cloud and Squall in the past_ – I'll start with the latter, since it's the simplest: they follow the same rules stated before, in that they're mostly weaker than Servants. Sephiroth, considering his in-game difficulty, would likely be able to fight certain Servants but not others. For the other three…it always seems like they're kind of weak compared to certain bosses when fighting them in-game? Since that's likely because of in-game balancing reasons, though, I'm going to go with this: Sora defeating them was usually due to a power limiter or item (a la Jafar's lamp), and if they were at their full power, no limits at all, they could take Servants.

 _Let me know your thoughts, and enjoy your weekend!_


	80. Purge

_Here's chapter eighty! Thank you Parks98, Galer, ultima-owner, InfernalFox, and phuxeds for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty: Purge**

Kiritsugu whipped around, aiming a gun at the creature.

Shinji stammered, "Wh-what's that?"

"Dream Eater," Sora answer, gripping his Keyblade tightly.

"A _what_?"

" _Watch Zouken_ ," Sora ordered.

Shinji gawked, then turned away, grumbling, "Some use _I_ am."

Kiritsugu asked, "You know about this creature?"

He nodded, then abruptly realized the remaining parties both watched him. He took a deep breath, then focused on the insect. "Kiritsugu. Held guard Zouken and attack from afar."

The man started—maybe he hadn't been waiting for a command, after all—but nodded, stepping back.

"Bazett, you and I are fighting this thing head on."

Faint runes illuminated her body. She settled into a fighting position.

The Dream Eater screeched.

Sora activated his magic and connected his heart to Kiritsugu, Bazett, and Shinji, and the Dream Eater. He moved a split second before the creature lunged, ducking beneath the soft underbelly and lifting his blade.

The bug arched, then screeched, hit directly by Bazett's powerful punch. It writhed, then whipped around, arching high above, the group, then dropping abruptly.

Bazett dodged; Shinji dove aside, while Kiritsugu dragged Zouken, shooting a few rounds.

Sora leapt, flames coating the Kingdom Key and haloing his body. He flung his weapon, the Keyblade spinning in rapid flaming circles around him and colliding with the Dream Eater's back.

A moment of anticipation came before the Dream Eater turned, jaws gaping. Sora braced its mouth open with his Keyblade, but still found himself slammed against the ground. The bug pressed harder. Sora's arms and legs shook.

Bazett's fist collided with the side of the Dream Eater's head. It twisted away, hissing.

A flurry of strikes followed, forcing the creature further away, while it screeched and tried to dodge; one attack hit its eye, another the side of its mouth, a kick to its head.

Sora stood, a flash trickling through his link to the Dream Eater and fed through his link to his companions.

Bazett started, but backed away.

Neither made it out of range in time. The bug swung, its long body raking the ground, glancing Sora and slamming Bazett sideways. She rolled and regained her footing.

The Dream Eater reared, hissing, and another brief warning fled across the tenuous link.

Sora leapt, and the Dream Eater slammed the ground, once, twice, continuing and sending shockwaves across the concrete.

Bazett gripped the creature's side. When the Dream Eater lifted again, she swung onto its back, turning into a kick.

The Dream Eater whipped around, knocking her aside.

"Bazett!" Sora sprang her way, reaching through his link.

She met his eyes, still falling, confused momentarily.

He extended his Keyblade, and she caught it, but he was pretty sure she didn't expect being spun and thrown back towards the Dream Eater. She recovered quickly, slamming the bug's face.

The insect collided with the ground. It lifted its head slowly, body wobbling.

"Now," Sora growled, lunging. The Kingdom Key swung in a quick combo, then ignited, raking his opponent's chin. Bazett sent a kick into the monster's abdomen, and Kiritsugu offered a shot.

The Dream Eater recovered, shook its head, then screeched, sending them flying several paces.

Sora braced himself.

Bazett landed, one hand perched on the ground.

Kiritsugu remained tense a short distance away, Shinji watching nervously from behind.

Zouken remained tied, but a grin twisted his features.

Sora narrowed his eyes.

Bazett said, "It's recovering."

Sora leapt aside a moment later.

The Dream Eater dove past them, burrowing through the concrete. The ground rumbled several seconds, then stilled.

Bazett remained tense, scanning the surface.

Sora tracked the Dream Eater cautiously. It wound through the earth in a path towards his right. "Kiritsugu, it's coming your way!"

The man turned and barked an order. Shinji spluttered and dragged Zouken aside.

 _What's he doing?_ Sora sprinted towards him.

The ground rumbled. Kiritsugu jumped, pulling a grenade's pin.

The insect exploded, jaws gaping.

Sora leapt, using the bug's body as a springboard.

Kiritsugu threw, the grenade falling deep into the creature's maw. Sora tackled him a moment later, and the two sprawled across the ground.

The Dream Eater's jaws snapped shut. It turned to burrow again, then froze. Parts of its body bulged, illuminated by red-orange light, faint explosions echoing. It twisted and fell silently, smoke streaming from between its jaws.

Kiritsugu found his gun again, holding it warily.

Sora whispered, "It's not dead. I think it's healing?"

The Dream Eater stirred. It rose slowly, legs scrabbling the ground. Its faintly-pulsing heart restored itself, and it screeched again.

"H-hey!" Shinji shouted.

Bugs fell from Zouken's body.

Sora ordered, " _Stopza!_ "

Both the man and Shinji froze. The bugs hung in the air.

Sora winced, his body warning him faintly that he wouldn't be able to use many more top tier spells.

Kiritsugu asked, "Could you use that again?" He gestured.

"It doesn't need it. Let's focus on defeating it, and hope the spell doesn't ware off."

Bazett kept the insect engaged, dodging attacks, disorienting it, nearly tying it into a knot.

Sora sprinted, throwing the Kingdom Key. It spiraled, slashing the Dream Eater's head up, then down, returning neatly to Sora's hand.

The Dream Eater stood a little taller. It's legs slashed, stretching for them. Bazett leapt safely out of reach; Kiritsugu sent a couple rounds into the creature, then grimaced and reloaded his gun.

Sora switched into a Shotlock. Ticking touched the back of his mind, and he fired, sending waves of light towards the towering Dream Eater.

The creature abruptly fell, slamming the ground, and this time the group was disrupted by the shockwave. It fell again, and again, sending numerous quakes across the ground.

Sora recovered, casting Cura over the group. He growled, "Let's go," and moved, sending a signal through their links.

Bazett and Kiritsugu both started, but followed a few moments later.

The Dream Eater finally stopped, its head still low to the ground. Kiritsugu slid in front of it, firing into its eye. It screeched and reared.

Sora and Bazett both jumped. Sora channeled some magic into his feet, allowed Bazett to grip his Keyblade, and flung her again, adding a burst of wind to drive her higher. Her punch collided with the Dream Eater's chin.

Sora continued spinning, throwing his Keyblade, focusing on the connection and forcing it to twist in wide arcs across the Dream Eater's body. He landed, catching the Kingdom Key, while Bazett skidded down the injured creature's back.

The ground shook. Stones quaked.

Warning flashed across the link. The three leapt clear.

Rocks exploded from the ground. More of the creature's body surged upwards, scrabbling across concrete, legs locked into the earth like a cage. A glowing sphere formed in front of its open mouth. It fired, releasing a wide beam across the city scape.

Bazett grimaced. "So much for no collateral damage."

Kiritsugu smirked dryly. "We were already beyond that point." He eyed it. "Let's take it out fast." He removed a second grenade.

Sora watched him, then nodded. "Right. Everything into this, then."

Bazett moved first, sending several punches and kicks into the Dream Eater's skull, distracting it.

Kiritsugu moved second, pulling the pin and flinging it into the enclosed space beneath the Dream Eater.

Sora ordered, "Toranado." Wind whipped around him, lifting debris and stirring his clothes. He maneuvered the spell towards the insect's 'cage.'

Once past, Bazett slammed the bug's head into the ground and leapt clear.

The grenade exploded. The tornado expanded it, whipping it into a powerful inferno that tore the Dream Eater in two. Flames shredded the insect's body; several legs broke and disintegrated. When the wind died the Dream Eater collapsed in two pieces, darkness streaming from the corpse.

Finally Bazett relaxed. "Alright. One bug down." She turned towards the still-frozen Zouken.

A signature still wavered on Sora's radar. "Wait." He approached the Dream Eater cautiously.

The antenna twitched. Darkness coated the bug's wounds. Faintly-visible tendrils reattached the severed parts.

Bazett swore.

The Dream Eater recovered, shook itself, and screamed.

Kiritsugu's eyes flicked over the beast; Sora sensed him calculating, trying to discern a way to take down the massive creature.

Zouken, still frozen, retained his too-amused smile.

Sora lowered his Keyblade slowly. "Keep it distracted." He moved.

Bazett asked, "Sora, what are you—?"

"Testing something."

No further protest was made, and the sound of fighting resumed behind him.

He skidded to a halt, observing the terrified boy, the dark old man. He released the spell with a flick.

The bugs fell again, detaching from Zouken's body at a rapid pace, despite Shinji's blubbering.

Sora released his connection to the others, instead focusing on each individual bug, and the strange, malformed heart of Zouken himself. _"Stay."_ The word echoed, bound by the force of intent and his voice.

The bugs abruptly stopped fleeing. Some chittered on the ground, wiggling in discontent.

Zouken's smile slipped. "What are you?"

"Stop the Dream Eater."

"You assume I have control over it."

"It came because of the darkness in your heart. It's connected to you. It heals the same way."

"Why not do it yourself, if you're so powerful?"

He remained silent, searching Zouken's gaze.

"Might want to hurry. I'm sure your friends won't last much longer."

He held the force of his heart magic, and whispered with quiet intensity, "You remind me of someone I knew once. A man obsessed with darkness, who believed in his own corrupt sense of justice. But he wasn't always evil."

"Oh? You think to _redeem me_ , do you?"

He didn't answer for several moments. "Zouken. How do we help Sakura?"

"I've already told you."

Sora closed his eyes briefly. Then he whipped the Kingdom Key around and speared Zouken's chest. The man barely had time to look surprised before Sora shouted, _"Purge!"_

Light flooded from within Zouken's body, streaming through holes made by the insects. He writhed, at first silent, then screaming, the light creating cracks in the man's torso and face.

Sora dragged his Keyblade back slowly, darkness smothering his trail of light. He released another pulse, and the darkness cleared, disintegrating under his magic.

The Dream Eater screeched.

"What are you doing to me, boy?"

Sora continued dragging the light away, darkness being slowly expelled into the air, while Zouken squirmed, screaming, his form barely visible through the brilliance being forced inside. His body crumpled, looking smaller and smaller, bugs flicking into ash.

Sora swept the Kingdom Key behind him.

The light jerked, dragging out a final string of darkness that dissipated.

Zouken's broken form illuminated, then disappeared, darkness trailing.

The Dream Eater, behind him, remained still, then, like its master, began fading.

"Wh-what," Shinji spluttered, "what did you _do_?"

Sora stared at the Keyblade. "I attempted to Purge the corruption from him." He released the weapon and flexed his fingers. "Looks like he was right. There really was no saving him."

* * *

 _I realized after I posted the last chapter that I didn't mention the 'batwings' on the emblem. Probably should've done that to avert confusion between Heartless and Dream Eater, so made it clear this chapter. Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _Damn it Zouken for a guy who wants everyone to just give up you are one stubborn old piece of shit I swear!_ – Too bad he's also pretty corrupt. Guess who has the perfect counter… _Stopza is OP as always (wish I realized that when I was a kid) and wonder if Sora can use all the -za tier magics? At least for the basic spells used in KH1 and KH2_ – He can, but they're pretty draining, and he's not as proficient in them as someone like Aqua. That's why he normally reserves them for bigger battles/situations where he's not concerned about keeping magical reserves.

 **Galer:** _If i am in that situation i would haved the dinwit (shinji wheter i liked it or NOT) and then ex plote the wole hause to kingdom come...the only problem wit that is the information to stop Sakura sooo yahhh fuck_ – Yeah…ultimately, though, Zouken wasn't giving anything up. Shinji might still be able to help in some ways, though. _For other part Hearless and Souken thats oldlly fitthin now that i am thinking abaut it_ – The thought process was basically, 'Hey, this is where they'd normally summon a giant enemy, right? Let's go for it.'

 **ultima-owner:** _that is one nasty supped up bug heartless. I hope it eats Zouken._ – Zouken didn't exactly get eaten, but he _is_ out of the picture.

 **InfernalFox:** _Woho! Kaiju battle!_ – Yeah!

 **phuxeds:** _Emblem heartless? That's ominous. That would mean that Zouken or at least someone associated with him are actually creating heartless rather than just manipulating them._ – While not actually a Heartless, the Dream Eater _was_ connected pretty intimately to Zouken.

 _Any thoughts or comments? Drop a review and let me know!_


	81. Reminiscence

_Here's chapter eighty – one! Thank you Parks98, Rankin de Merthyr, ultima-owner, and InfinityMask for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – One: Reminiscence**

Rin hadn't been back to her old home in a very long time.

It wasn't that she'd made a particular effort to avoid it; after being adopted, her route rarely took her past the old mansion, and she'd never seen a particular reason to return. Standing there now felt foreign, and it hit home that she really, truly no longer belonged there.

"Rin," Saber said, "it appears there's no sign of him outside the house."

She nodded, moving through overgrown gardens with a confidence she didn't feel. "I doubt he'd stay here. He has to know we'd come looking for him. But better safe than sorry."

Dust floated through the house. Rin trailed a finger along a wall and sniffed disdainfully. "Well, I suppose with no one to keep up the place, it's bound to happen." She prowled the lower rooms, shoving her emotions aside, and thought. Shirou hadn't spoken about where he'd confronted Kirei or Sakura, but Rider mentioned rescuing him from an upstairs room. So after Rin combed the area for clues, she moved to the stairwell.

Part of the wall was destroyed, cracked and indented, as if hit with a large weapon. Rin tested the steps warily, then began ascending.

Saber remained at the bottom a few moments, casting wary glances towards the living room and kitchen.

Rin went to her room first. She searched, detached, for any sign of the priest, and found nothing but old clothes and a few jewels. She fingered one, and recalled that she'd tried to gather as many possible to keep her father's legacy alive; she was surprised she'd missed any.

Sakura's room had once been kept in pristine condition. Their mother may have agreed to give Sakura to the Matou's, but she had cleaned and organized the room with great care, almost taking offence when it was left to gather dust. She'd hardly asked about it while she'd been hospitalized or under the McKenzie's roof, and Rin had found that justification not to check.

The room remained relatively undisturbed, and Rin ignored the uncomfortable part of her that said she shouldn't move things, Mother would be upset. It was just a room.

She stalled outside her father's study. She stared several moments, hands clenched. She touched the doorknob, stopped, then shook her head. "What am I doing? Come on, Rin. It's just a door." She threw it open.

Here she finally found signs of a struggle; wrecked furniture, torn floor and carpet, the wall where the window once stood partially destroyed. She was simultaneously relieved and angry at the almost-unrecognizable expanse.

She trailed to the window, glancing outside. Despite the damage, no trail remained.

Kirei left no sign he'd been here. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find a trace; no fabric, no weapons, not even residual prana. She huffed. "I guess I didn't expect any less." She rooted through drawers. One fell, scattering dust. She coughed, waving it away.

Books filled the space. Magecraft and theory, she realized, lifting one and dusting the faded blue cover. Her father must've been reading them not long before he died.

Her fingers tightened around the spine, and for a few moments, she was filled with unbearable rage.

Then she relaxed. She ran her thumb over the book's cover. She'd practiced for so long, hiding from her adopted family, to carry on the legacy of a family she no longer had. For a moment, she allowed herself to entertain a quandary: what would her life have been like, had she chosen to live normally? If she'd taken living with the McKenzie's as a way to free herself from her duties as a mage. If she'd never trained, and been normal, and tried to reach out to Sakura a little more—no competition, after all—and never gotten involved in this War in the first place.

She brushed most of those thoughts aside. She couldn't imagine being anything besides a mage; she enjoyed it, despite all the struggles. But she'd long grown tired of the ghosts still latched to her shoulders, and perhaps she should've let them move on long ago.

She slapped her cheeks. "Get a grip, Rin. Now's not the time to get sentimental. You still have a fake priest to find." And then, perhaps, once this War was over, she'd start to figure out her own path.

 **-Saber,** despite her concern, chose not to follow Rin upstairs. She didn't believe the priest was in the house—without any traps, likely he'd abandoned the place—and, protectiveness aside, she believed Rin needed the time alone, to feel whatever emotions she needed without fear of prying eyes.

She recalled that her Master hadn't returned here since her childhood. She wondered if, had she ever returned to Britain, she would still see it the same, after watching it fall and her adventures in the Holy Grail War.

Her fingers tightened around her invisible sword. She dispelled the thoughts.

Time passed slowly. After a while Rin returned, covered in dust, face impassive. "No sign," she said.

"Then perhaps we should check the surrounding area."

They left the house, combing the undergrowth and, upon finding nothing, returned to the streets.

Lamps flickered overhead. Rin huffed. "I didn't imagine searching for Kirei would be so _boring_."

Saber focused on the area around them, checking every shadow.

"I wonder how the others are doing. Hopefully having more luck then us."

"Most likely. They knew the location of their target."

Rin bristled.

"That's not a comment against your abilities, Master."

Her shoulders slumped. "It's Rin."

Saber paused. "Rin." She took a few paces closer. "You have no control over where this man goes."

"I know. But he's still my responsibility."

She understood far better than she wanted to.

They spent most of the night like that, traveling tired trails through the city. Saber flashed a look towards the brightening sky. "We should head back." A part of her was relieved; she wasn't sure how she'd react to seeing another shadow from the past War.

Rin shook her head. "I want to look a little longer." Her feet dragged.

Saber pursed her lips but followed.

They traveled a few more blocks when Rin abruptly halted. A vaguely familiar shape moved, shadowed, through the streets.

Saber tensed. "Is that?"

Rin took off.

"Rin!" She followed, easily keeping pace, and moved to intercept the man.

He skidded to a halt, and Saber realized that this was not Kirei Kotomine; instead, his hood falling, Hiroshi stared back, quaking.

Rin hissed, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Hiroshi didn't answer, clamping his lips firmly shut.

Rin huffed, turning. "Fine. We have better things to do."

"I—I'm looking for Father Kotomine."

She paused.

Saber tensed.

"You are, too, aren't you?" He stepped closer. "You and, and that other girl? He's just disappeared, and I'm not sure where—"

"Shouldn't you be in the church, Overseer?"

Hiroshi didn't flinch, but his expression turned more serious. "I am no longer the Overseer."

Saber shot him a surprised look.

"Or, at least, no longer consider myself to be. I abdicated the position—"

"What the _hell_?" Rin glared, stalking towards him. "You can't just _quit_ when things get too hard for you."

"I do not know enough about what's going on!" For a moment, he seemed as angry as Rin. He calmed a moment. "I've contacted the Church. They'll send another Overseer. I have my own questions I need answered."

"And you think Kotomine has them?"

He gave her a look from steely eyes and didn't answer.

Something moved in the shadows behind him. A small creature, almost cat-like, with spiked fur and a long tail, watched from red eyes.

Saber started towards it, but it disappeared.

"Is that all?"

Rin met his glare. "You don't have any clue where he is, do you?"

Hiroshi held her gaze a moment, then slumped. "No."

"Then yes." Rin turned, striding purposefully away.

Saber remained a few moments longer. "Did you notice that creature, behind you?"

He offered a grim smile. "Unfortunately."

"You do not seem perturbed by it."

"I've accepted it, I think. Them." His eyes grew shadowed. "That is why I need to find Father Kotomine. I need to find my way back to the light." He turned, slumped, and left.

Saber hurried to catch Rin.

The girl's pace remained steady for a while, then, slowly, began to drag. Saber asked, "Would you like to be carried?"

"Of course not." She shot her a look. "Why aren't you tired?"

"Servants don't need sleep, Rin."

She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

After a moment she realized the path didn't lead towards the Emiya household; the buildings changed to trees, and the sidewalk wound towards Fuyuki's outskirts. "Aren't we going back?"

"Yeah."

Saber gave her a strange look, but she didn't glance back.

The McKenzie household came into view. Rin entered, while Saber hesitated, uncertain, at the door.

Waver sat at the table. He jerked, blinking. A nasty bruise covered one side of his face; a few others trailed his arms, still not entirely faded from their encounter with Gilgamesh. His eyes hardened slightly. "So the wayward child's finally coming back?"

"I don't need your snarky comments."

"You had them worried sick, you know."

She opened her mouth, closed it, then deflated, sighing. "I know."

Waver glanced past her. "You don't have to wait in the door all night."

Saber started. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to intrude."

Waver shook his head, but whatever he might've said was drowned by a delighted cry.

"Rin!" Martha hurried into the room. "You're back!"

"Yeah."

Glen smiled, but worry tinged his eyes, and Saber was reminded abruptly of Sir Ector, and how he'd looked whenever she'd returned from a difficult battle. "Moving back home, eh?"

For a moment Rin stiffened. Then she relaxed. "This'll always be home. I've just needed to help some friends." She paused. "But I really needed some time away."

"Ah. Well, sometimes a break is good." He gestured to a chair, and then abruptly turned towards Saber. He blinked. "You're that girl she brought before, aren't you? The foreign one?"

Saber stood a little straighter. "Yes."

Martha said, "Come in, come in! We have plenty of room."

Rin murmured, "I need to make a phone call," and slunk away.

Saber stepped into the house carefully.

Glen moved closer and whispered, "I'm not quite sure who you are, but I get the feeling you've been keeping an eye on Rin for us. Am I right?"

Saber blinked. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

Glen nodded. "It's a lot like Alexie did for Waver, years ago." His eyes trailed towards the boy. "Thank you."

Saber's heart warmed slightly and, for a moment, she thought she could see the knight she'd once been. "Of course."

* * *

 _And we'll end that chapter there. Review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _I can't help but feel like that kid from the Simpsons. HA!HA!_ – Yep; Zouken certainly reaped what he sowed.

 **Rankin de Merthyr:** _I would rate the flow of your story 2/5. The way you write the actions of your characters is pretty bad, though the idea itself seems to be fine. Your delivery is just bad. I zoned out during the combat, which I really don't like doing since so few writers actually bother writing them and I like to read them carefully as reference. But yours was just pretty jarring._ – That's fair. I'd actually agree that my fight scenes for this story have been rather poor; I've been burnt out when it comes to writing fights for a long time.

 **ultima-owner:** _bosses that heal as long as "object a" is intact are annoying to defeat_ – Yeah. Fortunately, this one didn't take quite as long.

 **InfintyMask:** Firstly, thank you for all the reviews! I think most of your questions have been answered throughout the story (when you get to those chapters, of course), so I hope you continue enjoying the story! (Or have continued?)

 _If you have a comment or question, I'd love to see a review!_


	82. Is Any of This Real?

_Here's chapter eighty – two! Thank you DPSS and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Two: Is Any of This Real?**

 _You are a memory._

The words still bounced through Shirou's mind, and the more he tried to grasp them, hold them still to look and examine and understand, the harder he found it. He still wasn't sure how he felt.

He didn't practice with Vir—didn't call it, even, uncertain about the tingling in his fingers, though he'd used the Keyblade's near-manifestation as an anchor.

He certainly didn't _feel_ like a phantom of some other person. His heart thrummed with the same emotions and steady beat. But he wondered. If he really _was_ just a fake, then what was the 'real' him like? Had he gone through the fire? Had he had a normal life, in this world? Had the other 'him' known those he now talked to as a stranger?

And the more he thought, the more confused he felt. The voice in his Awakening—whatever that voice was—had told him he was liability to this world by his very existence, and the people around him weren't real. Not really. Were they?

He held his head.

Someone knocked on the door. "Hey," Illya asked, "are you going to hide in there all night?"

Shirou didn't have an answer, and so he didn't reply.

Illya thumped outside his borrowed room. "I'm bored."

He snorted. None of _them_ seemed like phantoms, either, he noted.

"I wonder how Dad and the others are doing." Then, quieter, "I wish I'd gone with them."

Shirou murmured, almost without thinking, "Someone had to watch Caster."

"Yeah, but _Rider's_ doing that. He has her locked in the living room. Which means I can't watch TV, either!"

Shirou snorted. He finally stood, tired of sitting on the uncomfortable floor, and pushed the open the door.

 _Illya sat at the table, complaining, while Saber watched._

He blinked, feeling disoriented. He wondered for the first time if the images came from another him—the real him, or another memory. And then he wondered, more disconcertingly, what effect it would have if those memories faded.

Anti-Sora's words returned to haunt him, and he restrained a shiver.

Illya tugged his hand. "Come _on_! Let's play a game."

He wanted to protest he was too tired to play, and that he'd watch instead, but he caved upon seeing her face. "Like what?"

She grinned, and he wasn't sure if he'd like her answer.

 **-The** game, as it turned out, was a glorified game of hide-and-seek with squirt guns. By the end of the night Shirou was soaked and tired, but relaxed.

Illya laughed upon finding him again, then paused, looking towards the house. She ran, calling, "Dad's home!"

Shirou hesitated. In the lightening sky, he could just barely see faint, glimmering stars.

A commotion inside distracted him, and he entered.

Illya glared and Shinji, despite Kiritsugu dragging her aside, and she argued, "But he shouldn't _be_ here."

"He's going to try and help us, Illya."

Sora stood a short distance back, looking tired. He caught Shirou's gaze, and he relaxed slightly.

Shirou found himself rooted. He didn't know if he should go to his Master, or if he should leave.

 _Memories are meant to fade._

An abrupt, irrational fear seized him, and he wondered: If he were to leave, what would happen to the other Keyblader?

"Hey," Sora whispered, and Shirou jolted, then cursed himself, because he'd made his Master worry and wasn't that the only thing he'd really been able to avoid?

He took a deep breath, focused, and asked, "How'd it go?"

Sora's expression turned pensive. "Well." He paused. "Zouken's gone. Dead, I think." He grimaced. "I used Purge. Last resort."

"That doesn't usually kill, does it?"

"No. Not unless the heart is so corrupt that the individual can no longer live without it." His expression turned sad.

Shirou wondered what would've happened if he _had_ been successful in using Purge against Sakura, and that brought a new round of confusion and regret. How should he feel about these people disappearing? But then he thought about Xion, and himself, and Vir's almost-summoning tingled again and he steadied himself.

He realized he should probably ask, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just need some rest." He paused, then asked, "And you?"

The words held so much weight, and Shirou didn't have a good answer, so he responded, "I don't know."

Sora's expression fell, and he wondered if, perhaps, he should've answered differently.

Kiritsugu asked, "Have you seen Rin yet?"

Shirou shook his head, and Illya added, "You're the first ones back."

Kiritsugu nodded, though he looked somewhat troubled.

Rider coughed. "What now, Master?"

He sighed. "Now," he murmured, "we prepare to assault the temple."

 **-Rin** called later that morning, informing them that she'd returned home for a while, that she hadn't found anything, and asked to be updated on any new developments. After that Kiritsugu had retreated to brainstorm, leaving the others to their own devices.

Shirou, over the last several days, had taken to finding a quiet corner on his own. His heart magic activated, and he breathed, allowing his mind to float. Thousands of hearts appeared, many of them small, a few larger, emotions simple. A bird landed, chirping; some ants collected food on the other side of the house. He also sensed larger, more complex hearts, and deep beneath the world's steady thrum.

It relaxed him, being able to detach for a while. For a few moments he wasn't him, didn't have to act or think.

He was also infinitely more connected to everything around him, and sensed Sora approaching him long before his footsteps crunched through the grass.

A familiar magic brushed along his own, stronger and more focused, and then pulled away quickly, as if startled.

Sora's emotions—uncertainty, hope—suddenly became veiled. The walls seemed to be forced open again, and the tiny pause led to the older Keybearer closing the distance.

Shirou released the magic and slowly opened his eyes. He met his Master's gaze, and held it for several moments, fingers tightening around his legs, mind swimming with questions he both wanted to ask and to avoid.

Sora lifted an uncertain hand. "Hey. You feel up to training?"

Shirou started, then considered. "Yeah." He stood, and Vir settled, familiar and real, in his hand.

Sora grinned, and the two moved to the dojo. The Kingdom Key appeared, and his Master looked at almost like Shirou did, as if he was still surprised it responded to his call. He gripped the weapon with two hands and circled slowly.

Shirou followed, and waited for his Master to make the first move. A slow, measured strike to his midsection followed.

Shirou narrowed his eyes and parried. He made a faster response, cutting towards Sora's shoulder.

Sora dodged, chuckled, and then moved again, faster, until the two were exchanging blows quickly, steel ringing and flashing. The two spun and slashed, parries a familiar beat, and for a while Shirou's mind cleared, his strikes falling into a steady, familiar pace. He skidded backwards, time slowing, Vir now gripped in two hands. He regained his footing and lunged.

Sora forced the blade down. He hooked the Kingdom Key's teeth into Vir's hilt.

Shirou dismissed the weapon, then recalled it, smacking the other Keyblade with enough force to send it flying. The Kingdom Key clattered against the dojo floor.

The two stood still a few moments, Sora's arm still lifted, a surprised expression crossing his face. The expression melted into a smile. "Nice job."

Shirou smiled in return, despite himself. _I was always real to you._ He lowered Vir slowly. "Did it ever bother you? Knowing you apprenticed a memory?"

"My Nobody was best friends with a memory." He shook his head. "You were always _you_ , Shirou."

Vir disappeared. Shirou rubbed his neck. "Have you ever met the 'real' me?"

Sora's expression faltered. "I—not really."

"When?"

"I didn't—"

Shirou gave him a pleading expression.

He sighed. "The world sent him after me."

"What was he like?"

"We didn't really talk much." He scratched his cheek. "It wasn't until later I started learning more about him, and even then he didn't want to open up."

Shirou stood a little straighter.

Sora seemed to realize his mistake, and stopped talking for several moments. He rested a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "Why the sudden fascination? It doesn't change who _you_ are."

"I just—I need to know. Who this person is." The faint clang of steel and smell of smoke flickered like a flame in his mind. "Could you take me to the—the 'normal' version of this world? Please?"

"I don't know if that'd be a good idea." He folded his arms. "Or even possible. I think Alaya's forced us here on purpose."

"How'd you get there the first time?"  
"I didn't."

The pieces connected slowly. "He's here, isn't he? How would he—" He left the question hanging.

Sora met his gaze several moments. "He's a Servant. He's this War's Archer."

Shirou stared. He wondered if, perhaps, the recent commotion and revelations meant that this didn't surprise him as much as it should've.

Sora gave him an awkward, uncertain smile. "But listen, we're nearly finished with the big issues from this War, right? And then we can go home. Maybe we'll _actually_ explore a new world this time. I'm sure we can work out some new tricks for your heart magic." The unspoken words were: _Things can go back to normal. Can't they?_

The unspoken answer, which they both understood, but perhaps only one would admit: _No._

 _But maybe they can get better._

Shirou clenched his fists, but smiled, and said, "Yeah."

He and Sora talked a while longer, and Shirou took the moment and tucked it away in his heart like a precious treasure. Then—one Sora had left, and Shirou had spent some time alone, meditating—he steeled himself, and left to find Archer.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _So where's Shirou? I haven't seen him in a while._ – Well, as a matter of fact…

 **ultima-owner:** _so her room was ransacked and that "cat" was spying on them. this is quite a pickle._ – The room was actually mostly destroyed by Sakura's sudden transformation and freak-out. But the Dream Eater heralds some things to come.

 _Any comments or questions? Feel free to leave a review!_


	83. Or Not?

_Here's chapter eighty – three! Thank you Yolea Irk's, reality deviant, ultima-owner, and Galer for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Three: Or Not?**

By the time Shirou had both worked up the courage to ascend the steps and double-checked that the new watch was changing, the sun had begun sinking, panting the stairs in warm pink-and-orange hues. He cast a cautious look at the tree line; despite his magic assuring him the new watch wasn't there—something of a surprise—he couldn't help but make sure.

He turned, eyes flicking across the deserted steps, and wondered how to approach this. Finally he called, "Hello? Archer?"

Very faintly he sensed something, and that was the only warning he received. Vir materialized, deflecting an arrow, and he tumbled down a few steps. He righted himself, holding Vir protectively in front of him.

 _"Well,"_ a voice drawled, _"here I didn't expect you to be foolish enough to come."_ A figure materialized, garbed in black and red, skin tan, hair white, and for a moment Shirou believed Sora'd been wrong, and that this man wasn't him. Yet his heart thrummed with familiarity, and when he looked harder, he thought he recognized some of the facial features, the general body structure.

He'd been expecting someone who looked more recognizable. Even the expression, he realized, didn't look much like his own.

Shirou didn't lower his weapon, but said, slowly, "I didn't come here to fight."

"Oh?" Archer gave Vir an appraising look, and he realized this other him was trying to discern where the weapon came from.

"Can't you summon it?" Shirou blurted, then mentally smacked himself. _Sora never saved the real one._

A long pause. "Please. Do you believe me some sort of magician?" But his eyes flickered with something, and Shirou wondered what game this man was trying to play.

"You're me, aren't you?"

His eyes widened fractionally.

Shirou started to move forward, then stopped, aware of the danger the Servant posed. "The real one."

Archer's eyes changed from surprised to marginally baffled. "Tell me. If you know who I am, why come here? Surely you know meeting a different 'you' can have ill effects." He looked behind him. "Or did you come for the girl in the temple?"

His gaze flicked past Archer, and for a moment his heart clenched. "How did you end up here?"

"I was summoned. I thought even am imbecile like you would understand that."

"That's not what I—how did you end up as a Servant?" _Who are you? Is there still something I can recognize as myself, or have I moved too far away?_

Archer eyed him critically. "You look awfully frightened. Don't you trust yourself?"

"You _did_ try to shoot me." Which brought a host of other questions, if the Servant already knew their connection.

 **-Archer** studied the boy, debating how to approach the situation. Here was his past self, practically handing himself over on a platter; he would likely have little time to react, and there was little to lose if Archer struck now.

And yet, this boy was already leagues away from the one who'd gone to become him, simply by a single turn of events. The likelihood this would work lessened considerably.

The boy was something of an anomaly. He'd come, it seemed, specifically because of the other _him_ , specifically to learn about the Servant standing guard, but with a sort of desperation Archer didn't understand.

That alone gave him pause. "So. No selfless actions from you, hmm? Not going to attempt storming the temple?"

The boy winced, and Archer assumed that, perhaps, there _was_ something similar to his past there, but his questions for Archer outweighed everything. Interesting.

"I can't fight my way past you, can I? And if you're me—" He paused, and his eyes turned critical, and Archer abruptly realized that he was studying him to discern a fighting style, trying to figure out how he'd defend himself should the Servant attack.

This boy had seen combat before. Not entirely unheard of, and perhaps not surprising, but something he would file away for later.

"Very well. You want to know how I became _this_ , do you?" He shrugged. "Put simply, I died."

The boy didn't react.

Archer noted this idly, then continued, "I made a poor deal, believing I could save others, and now am saving them for all eternity." His voice took a bitter edge.

Shirou's eyebrows furrowed.

"But why do you want to know? Don't you have some better life waiting for you?"

 **-This** Servant hated him. Or, at least, he hated the boy he used to be.

Shirou wasn't sure if it was something in the way he'd said that last line, or some unconscious connection between memory and original, or an unconscious activation of his heart magic, but now that he'd understood, it tinted the man's previous actions.

"You—you don't like saving others?"

Archer's gaze hardened a little, and Shirou wondered if that had been the wrong thing to say.

Shirou backpedaled a little, stammering, "Is it something forced on you? Did you want to be normal?" Then, a little more nervous, "Who saved you?"

Archer stiffened.

"From the fire. You—you did go through the fire, didn't you?" And suddenly he felt foolish, because he'd just assumed that was the point their paths differed, and maybe he'd been wrong, after all.

"Hmmph. You're awfully chatty for someone who doesn't want to hear the answers."

Shirou's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to argue, but Archer turned.

"Go back to your master."

"No."

Archer stopped.

Shirou took a few paces forward. "I need to know."

"Why?" Archer faced him fully, fury flashing across his face. "Don't you have better things to do than cross-examine ghosts? I would've thought you'd learned some sense from your master."

" _Who saved you_?"

"Kiritsugu Emiya." In Shirou's ensuing silence, Archer snorted. "Does the name mean anything to you? Are you satisfied now that you have the answer?"

The information was just another useless bit, interesting, but it could only be stored away. He knew Kiritsugu had some history he didn't know, heart filled with regret and steel, and he wondered if it had affected the man this other him became.

Finally he faced the question Archer posed that he'd refused to ask: What did he seek by coming here? What did he think he could learn? Did he want to validate his existence? Had he believed, somewhere, that if he'd been similar to this man, this future, that it'd make things better? That he'd be less of a shade?

But Archer didn't seem content with his existence, either, and did he really want to be similar to the bitter shade?

The relationship struck him, and he almost laughed. _Maybe we have more in common than I thought._

 **-Archer** didn't understand the boy's game. What was he looking for, really? This didn't seem like simple curiosity.

It seemed like he'd come to some sort of conclusion, anyways. The boy's expression turned amused and oddly reminiscent of his own, then dropped, and he fixed Archer with a clear expression. "Archer," he began, "do you ever regret not being able to save someone?"

Here was familiar ground. Here was something he'd prepared for, something he knew how to argue against. "Saving others _only_ leads to regrets."

Shirou shook his head, and he seemed less angry than Archer believed he would be. "Then I guess you'd think saving someone who didn't really exist is pointless, huh?"

And there he went again, breaking the script, leaving Archer confused about his intentions. "What are you talking about?"

Something reached inside him, finding the deep, vulnerable parts of himself and looking beyond. Pain shot through his head and chest and for a moment, emotions and images flashed through his mind that weren't his own.

 **-Shirou** hadn't intended to activate his heart magic. Perhaps he'd been desperate to understand, or perhaps it'd been instinctual, after all this time. Perhaps it was a natural reaction to meeting another version of yourself. Even if he _had_ intended, he wouldn't have expected it to work.

But there he was, watching a familiar man— _Kiritsugu—_ pull him from the fire, watching him grow under the man's watchful eye. Inheriting a dream. A strange sort of emptiness filled him; guilt layered over a lack of purpose and self-image, then desperately clinging to a dream in an almost obsessive frenzy. And as Shirou watched, this man fought, and grew, and came to understand that he'd followed the wrong path, after all.

So much flashed through Shirou's mind and heart that everything was hard to process; nonetheless, he realized two things.

One: That this man's ideals were not, in and of themselves, wrong, and instead it was the obsession, the lack of self that attached to the ideal, that had brought Archer's downfall. Archer hadn't seen it in life; he couldn't tell if he really understood, even now.

Two: That his older self—his alternate, a man he believed would allow him some insight, find some sort of path to follow—didn't have it all together, either.

He broke the connection with a gasp, heart and mind reeling. He crumpled, fingers curled into the steps. "What—what is—"

" _What did you do_?"

Archer's expression started horrified, then morphed into a furious, self-loathing glare.

"I—didn't mean—" Shirou stood, stumbling backwards, and lifted Vir.

Archer's gaze flashed to the weapon, and he flinched. His fists tightened, then snapped wide, twin swords materializing.

Shirou stared. In the bolt of memories, he didn't know for certain how the Servant called or created his swords; only a fuzzy vision, of a barren land filled with swords, flickered through his mind.

The image reminded him strongly of the Keyblade Graveyard, and he recalled, faintly, that Sora had once asked him if he recognized it.

 _So he'd seen some of this me's memories._

Archer moved quicker than he could track.

Shirou jerked Vir into a defensive position, already knowing he'd waited too long, his distraction making him clumsy.

Then he was falling, pushed aside while loud clangs sounded above.

Rider locked swords with Archer. He glanced back, giving a mirthless grin. "Hey."

Archer leapt away, studying his opponent.

Rider lowered his sword. "No one's threatening your gate, friend. Mind if we talk this out?"

Archer narrowed his eyes. "As I recall, your lot has been spying on us for days. I believe that qualifies as a 'threat.'"

"But do you really want to protect whatever's in there?"

Archer's eyes narrowed. He settled into a fighting position.

"Heh. Very well." Rider lifted his blade. "Guess this'll at least make my watch interesting, right? Let me show you why I was summoned as 'Rider.'"

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Uh-oh. I can tell this will not become a good encounter. Not really sure about Archer's reaction with Keyblader!Shirou. But can't deny how awesome this will be._ – Well, both are rather…conflicted. Hopefully this lived up to expectations!

 **reality deviant:** _things wont get back to the way they were...such journeys always change things..._ – Indeed. _I eager to read about Shirou and Archer confrontation. about what others would make of such revelation._ – Well, a little tense on both ends. We'll get to see how some of the others react later on.

 **ultima-owner:** _the problem with asking if a memory is real or not is that there is no right answer. It's as real as you make it but at the same time someone else can think differently than you and also be right._ – Yep. The whole 'memory' situation is complicated, and Shirou's going to have to come to his own sort of answer. _It's nice to see Illya being happy_ – Haha, yeah! Illya actually gets a relatively good deal out of all this.

 **Galer:** _Well this is quite the problem but for my point of View this Shirou is not a memori to my._

 _Also i remenber that namine sait that the memory doesnt fade is stay in the heart then againt the kingdom hearts series is unecesary confucing and convoluded as all fuck soo yeah._ – Mmhm! Then again, Shirou doesn't really _know_ that, and still isn't quite sure about how he should feel.

 _If you have any questions, comments, or predictions, let me know in a review!_


	84. Rider

_Here's chapter eighty – four! Thank you reality deviant, Yolea Irk's, Darkjaden, ultima-owner, Parks98, Aburg76, Galer, and InfernalFox for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Four: Rider**

 _Dinadan shushed his horse, running a hand soothingly down her muzzle. His armor shifted and clanked. Spectators waited eagerly, while other knights attended to their steads or had squires helping them with their armor, lances resting._

 _"So," a voice commented, "I heard you've been doing well." Tristan approached, grinning wryly._

 _"You heard? I'm flattered." His horse gave a restless snort, and he returned to trying to calm her._

 _Tristan laughed. "You always_ were _better with horses than with people."_

 _"Horses cause less problems. Intentionally."_

 _"Unless_ you've _trained them." His friend approached. "But I came to wish you luck."_

 _"You're not jousting?"_

 _"No. Can't take the spotlight away from my friend, can I? Besides, I heard Lancelot was competing. I'd rather not face_ him _."_

 _Dinadan's features darkened._

 _"Still don't like him, huh?"_

 _He took a deep breath and forced himself to brighten. "Ha! Don't worry, I'll unseat him before long."_

 _"Was that a pun?"_

 _Dinadan grinned. "He won't stay on his high horse for long."_

 _Tristan waved him off. "That was horrible. Just get ready, you buffoon."_

 _"I was, until you came to pester me."_

 _Lancelot, just visible across the field, turned and spoke to several helpers. They seemed surprised._

 _Dinadan's expression turned serious. He hefted himself onto his horse, and she steadied, all fear gone. His clenched his lance tightly._ For once, _he thought, mind unconsciously winging back to failed negotiations, to situations made worse by his words. He wondered if the king was watching. He lifted his lance._ For once I will prove myself worthy of being a knight of the Round Table.

 **-Rider** sheathed his sword. "Shirou," he said, quietly, "you should move away. You might get hurt accidentally."

The boy, to his surprise, didn't protest, sliding into the trees.

Archer snorted. "Are you giving up so early, Rider? Not many would start a fight with a sheathed sword."

"Hah. Well, I'm a bit unconventional. Don't worry, I'll play my part." His voice grew quieter. "Come, Heddwch."

A horse charged from the air, light motes flickering around her. She tossed her head, nudging Rider. He soothed her, then mounted, a lance materializing. "Now, then. Let's—"

Archer had already disappeared.

Rider charged, guiding his horse up the steps, hoping to force the other Servant's Command Seal to activate. It worked; several arrows hit the space he'd been, then Archer materialized, swords slashing overhead.

Rider lifted his lance, blocking.

Archer grimaced, then kicked away, materializing his bow again and firing.

Rider kept his lance protectively in front, allowing the arrows to deflect. A warning screamed through his mind— _He's going to aim for Heddwch_ —and he bolted into the forest.

Arrows followed him, leaving blue, glowing trails, thudding into trees far too close for comfort. Rider leaned further over Heddwch's neck, lance held at his side. An arrow pierced brushed his back, and he grimaced, but continued his circle, bringing his mount towards the upper stairs.

Archer dematerialized.

Rider switched Heddwch into a charge down the steps.

Archer returned only briefly, dematerializing again when the horse reared, nearly trampling him. He reformed behind, trailing blue, and fired several arrows.

Rider's armor deflected most of them, but one found a gap and lodged uncomfortably near his shoulder blade. He turned his horse into the woods again, guiding her in a quick, tight circle. _We'll want to avoid the steps if we want to be successful._

More arrows fired, and Rider parried, then sent his horse up the hillside.

Archer retreated to the top of the gate, watching warily.

Rider eyed him, then turned Heddwch further away, hiding under the shelter of several trees. _He could hit me easily if I make a direct approach. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice. I guess I'll just have to get—_

A streak, and then an arrow struck the armor covering his chest, nearly unseating him. Heddwch reared, whinnying, as an arrow nearly struck her chest, in turn. "He can still hit us?" Rider snarled, still shaken and cursing himself. He regained control over the horse, turning her in a quick, uneasy circle, and then charging directly towards the gate.

The trees blurred. Rider lifted on the stirrups, bent low, while arrows flashed. Branches whipped his face. An opening appeared ahead. He didn't slow, urging Heddwch into a leap. The horse jumped, exploding from the trees and flying over the steps.

Archer's eyes narrowed, and he turned his bow, smirking slightly.

Rider kicked off the saddle, flying higher, his lance drawn.

For a moment time slowed. Archer readjusted his aim, while Rider moved closer, carried directly towards his opponent, lance drawn.

Heddwch landed, safely, at the top of the steps, and time resumed.

Archer dismissed his bow, called his twin blades, and parried Rider's lance. Rider's tackle still sent them both toppling.

Archer corrected himself before his opponent, moving again almost as soon as he'd stopped, a red blur across the temple grounds. His swords flashed, and the two Servants fought in a whirlwind.

One sword swung overhead, another to the waist, and Rider made small adjustments to his lance's position to parry, then stabbed. A black sword blocked and slid the weapon's length, deflected by a quick upward jerk. The blades flashed, sparks flying upon impact, as they attempted to strike Rider from various angles.

He backed towards the entrance, grimacing. "Heddwch!"

Archer kicked him.

Rider sprawled, surprised, then right himself.

Archer was already over him, sword lifted, and Rider rolled away, the sword clanging uselessly against the ground. Abruptly the trajectory changed, swinging into the side.

Rider parried, but realized he was no lancer; he parried a few flashy, rapid blows, but swung too wide, his lance whipping to his right, one of Archer's blades jerked aside.

Then Archer's movements were precise, focused, and it seemed one moment his sword was by his side, the second it was denting the armor over Rider's chest.

Rider gasped, more startled than hurt, and stumbled backwards.

Hoof beats sounded, and he fell dramatically.

Heddwch flew over him, charging the other Servant.

Archer slid aside.

Rider corrected himself, swiping Archer's legs from beneath him, then attempted to spear him.

Archer parried and returned to his feet. He remained low several moments, blades still held at the ready.

Heddwch trotted to Rider, who rubbed her neck soothingly.

Archer snorted. "So. It appears I haven't managed to drive you from the temple grounds, after all." He straightened slightly, faint red lines zapping over him.

Rider eyed him warily. "Why don't you stop, then?"

"Well, I have a Command Seal I have to obey." The words dripped with venom, but he cast a quick glance towards the temple itself.

Rider followed his gaze, and started. Were those shadows moving?

 _"I am the bone of my sword."_

A warning thrummed through Rider. The wind stirred. "What are you doing, Archer?"

 _"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."_

Rider swore and mounted.

 _"I have created over a thousand blades."_

The shadows drew closer, and Heddwch startled. Rider tried to settled her, and gave Archer a frantic, concerned look. Flames flickered around him.

 _"Unknown to death, nor known to life."_

"Go!"

 _"Withstood pain to create many weapons."_

Heddwch charged, despite the shadows, despite the flames, and Rider prepared his lance.

 _"Yet those hands will never hold anything."_

They neared the other Servant. Rider drew back his lance, prepared to strike.

Archer met his gaze. _"So, as I pray: Unlimited Blade Works."_

The flames roared so brightly Rider could no longer see. And then they were gone, no trace left of the two warriors on the temple grounds.

 **-Shirou** stared. He'd stayed far out of range of the fighting, but hadn't been able to bring himself to leave entirely. He'd caught glimpses of Rider and Archer's battle from a distance, and had returned when the sounds of fighting had grown dimmer, then disappeared. Now, he searched, but found no sign of either Servant.

Hesitantly he mounted the steps and paused, expecting Archer to rematerialize. When he didn't Shirou continued. _They didn't both just kill each other, did they?_ The thought made him uncomfortable, and he shifted, grimacing.

The shadows seemed to move, drawing away from him.

Shirou started. _Sakura._ His fists clenched. He'd come here not to save the girl, but the find answers. He hadn't even figured he'd be able to make it past the gate.

 _But I'm here now._

Shirou steeled his resolve, and moved into the building.

 **-Rider** took in the sight with some uncertainty. "What on earth?" Weapons filled a barren wasteland—swords, axes, maces, spears, knives. Rider kept his horse steady, gripping his lance tighter. "What is this, Archer?"

"It's a Reality Marble. My Noble Phantasm. The one thing a broken hero like me is allowed."

Rider turned to eye him and, for a moment, he believed he might have seen the man he was before he became a hero.

 _I might still be able to talk him down._

"You sound like you're not a huge fan of your legend."

Archer met his gaze with steely eyes and said nothing.

"I'm guessing you met a tragic end, like a lot of us legends, huh?"

Archer smirked. "You got me." Swords lifted from the ground. "Too bad that wasn't truly the end." The weapons fired.

Rider galloped away, weapons spearing the earth in his trail. _So the whole world can attack me, huh? Great._ His eyes flicked to Archer. _I need to take out the caster and break this illusion, one way or another._ He collected what he already knew of the Servant. "You sell your soul for this Reality Marble?"

The other Servant remained silent, weapons still singing through the air.

Rider turned Heddwch abruptly. Her hooves created grooves in the ground, kicking dust into the air. They charged directly towards the other Servant.

Archer back away, still firing, and materialized his bow, firing several shots.

Rider blocked them, lance flashing. "No? What, you really created this on your own? Makes one wonder what you needed to give up your afterlife for."

Something whistled behind him. He leaned away, a sword nicking his cheek. Heddwch snorted.

Archer released his bow and summoned his twin swords instead. He flung them, but both flew wide.

"Losing your touch, Archer!"

He summoned another pair and tried again, impassive.

Rider steered Heddwch safely beneath them, galloping over a dip, quickly gaining ground on the other Servant. "See, I don't think you did this for _power._ " The last word was punctuated when Heddwch reared, hooves poised above Archer's head.

Archer leapt backwards, a third pair of swords materializing.

"Not with this. So, what? A loved one die? You die too soon?"

Archer smirked, and Rider heard the whoosh of air too late.

Swords abruptly clanged against his armor. He whipped around, and was nearly hit for his trouble. He lifted his lance to defend, but another weapon struck him from the side, one flew and made it past his guard, slicing his face.

Heddwch screeched, a sword leaving a jagged wound up her shoulder.

The swords spun a whirlwind, banging his shoulder, hovering like flies. A shoulder plate fell into the dust. Rider made a desperate charge to free themselves from the strange weapons, and came to an abrupt realization: _Where is Archer?_

Pain pierced his back. He gasped, hand flying to the sword, now imbedded in his shoulder blade. He drew Heddwch to a halt, and grimaced, gripping the weapon.

Archer stood several lengths away, expression dark. "You make too many assumptions, Rider," he growled. "Why do you think I'm anything like a normal hero?"

Rider met his gaze with narrowed eyes and wondered, if what he said was true, why he hadn't struck yet. _Something I said must've hit a nerve._ He jerked the sword free, grunting, and let it fall. _So he's trying to prove something, here._

Archer materialized his bow. Several swords poised above him.

 _But it looks like that was his last word._ He snorted. _Man. I didn't want to use this. Well, guess I better make it count, or my luck's finally run out._ He turned Heddwch, readying a charge.

The swords over Archer's head fired.

Rider charged. "I invoke: Pas d'armes."

The swords abruptly vanished. The world seemed to disappear. A distinct, white barrier created a lane between the two Servants.

Archer stared, baffled, his bow still held, then whipped to face his nearing opponent.

Rider lowered his lance.

Archer strung his bow and fired.

The arrow sailed true, straight into Heddwch's heart.

The horse whinnied, toppled, but Rider leapt, close enough to strike. _Not on target._ Instead of dead center, the lance struck Archer's shoulder, splintering, a piece lodging into the skin. Rider tackled the other Servant, and the two tumbled through the splinters and dirt.

The barrier faded, returning them to Archer's wasteland. Then the wasteland wavered and disappeared, in turn, leaving the two back on the temple grounds.

Rider pushed himself away.

Archer stood, gripping the wood still lodged in his shoulder.

Rider allowed a half-exasperated smile. "Well. At least I stopped your little trick."

Archer removed the lance. Blood trickled down his shoulder. A sword materialized in his good hand. Weary eyes focused.

"We don't have to keep fighting, you know. You've defended the temple. No one said you had to win."

His eyes flickered like he was considering it, and for a moment, Rider thought his luck might hold, after all. Then he shook his head, lifting the weapon. "I thought all you heroes were willing to fight for your ideals."

Rider snorted, but drew his sword. "Fine." He lunged.

Footsteps. A panicked, familiar voice cried, "Shirou, stop!"

Rider skidded to a halt, seeing Sora, but catching no sign of the boy. "What?"

Pain flared through his stomach. He choked. Archer's sword remained imbedded deeply into his abdomen. He touched it, then flashed a look towards the Servant.

Something familiar flickered in the gray eyes, the white hair beginning to droop over his face. Rider had a brief, horrifying moment of clarity. " _You_? But, how?"

Questions fluttered through a dying mind, possibilities forming, some sickening conclusions finally clicking into place.

Light motes floated from his form. _Even now, I figure things out to late._ If he'd known earlier. If he'd tried harder. If, if, if—always if he'd tried something different. _I guess I never got to prove I was worthy, after all._

His legs and arms went numb, his hearing faded, and the world slowly darkened.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! So, Rider's Noble Phantasm. For those who don't know the story, Dinadan and Lancelot faced off in a joust, which Dinadan lost due to surprise at Lancelot wearing a dress. After the loss, Lancelot proceeded to put_ Dinadan _in a dress, and I wanted to somehow include that "humiliation" factor into his Noble Phantasm. His Noble Phantasm takes the form of a joust: it forces two opponents to face each other for a single charge, and negates all outside interference (Hence the reason Archer's weapons and UBW disappeared. He kept his bow because he held it, and therefore it wasn't considered "outside interference."). After the charge, whatever was outside returns, but Rider's luck takes a drastic dip—meaning it's basically a last resort, since bad things tend to happen after he uses it. Its name, Pas d'armes, is basically a challenge to all other knights. (Found from Lords and Ladies, under Jousting Terminology.)_

 _Anywho, review response:_

 **reality deviant:** _the reactions of others are something i eager to read._ – Especially the Keybladers and Sakura, who have…interesting reactions.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Rider blocked Archer's swords strongly reminded me of RWBY volume 4 in a battle where Qrow protected Ruby by intercepted Tyrian's claw weapons with his sword-scythe. He's also giving protagonist a smile albeit a lazy gratitude one._ – I didn't even think of that, but now I can't un-see it. _Seeing Archer's reaction with Vir, he must've using his magecraft and running analization at it. He must have aware Vir's nature by then and might deemed Shirou as a threat._ – In a way. Vir—and Keyblades, in general—are complicated with tracing, however, which we'll get to see a little of later. _How will Shirou choose his next step once he found out Archer's past however, is being the biggest question here._ – He certainly has a lot to figure out.

 **Darkjaden:** _Will Shiro be able to trace?_ – Nope! Shirou's been trained in an entirely different form of magic (and also has a different element/origin), so he won't be learning how to trace in this continuity.

 **ultima-owner:** _I don't think "saving people that leads to regrets" is true. It's "how" you save them is what can lead to regrets._ – I agree! But Archer's still pretty bitter, and in some ways actually believes this.

 **Parks98:** _Hmm so shirou finally found out about what happen to Archer. Honestly one of the main problems that ArcherShirou had was that for the entire time he never had the talk that UBW Shirou had. No one ever told him about how his path was possibly going to ruin his life and lead to his death. That or what he would actually do as a counter Guardian. Yeah not knowing all of that info left him completely blindsided which as we know left him bitter_ – Yeah; Archer was never really given the chance to come to terms with what would happen in life. Though, to be fair, even if he _had_ understood, things might've still gone south, especially if he felt like he really didn't have a choice.

 **Aburg76:** _nice scene between Shirou and Archer_ – Thanks!

 **Galer:** _Guest they are still similar in some way but they are diferent individual wit diferent objetives._ – Yep!

 **InfernalFox:** _Have you seen the new trailer?! I think that YX is referring to Vanitas. You?_ – Yes, and it looks amazing! I didn't think I'd be so excited about a _Toy Story_ world, but I am! I could definitely see the darkness being Vanitas, since he _does_ make a brief appearance in 3D—or perhaps he's trying to coerce Sora back to darkness? Less likely, but who knows. Either way, I'm still super hyped.

 _If you have any thoughts or comments about the chapter, leave a review and let me know!_


	85. Confrontations

_Here's chapter eighty – five! Thank you reality deviant, Yolea Irk's, Parks98, DPSS, ultima-owner, OrionGold, 21freeedba, 20freds1, and Xcrouse39 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Five: Confrontations**

 _Sora asked, "Where's Shirou?"_

 _Illya flashed him a disgruntled look. "I don't know. Probably in his room." More quietly she added, "He never wants to come out anymore."_

 _That worried him—both because of his apprentice's reclusive behavior, and because he'd already checked Shirou's room, and knew he wasn't there._

 _To be fair, he'd already discovered his apprentice wasn't on the property; he'd just hoped maybe someone could give him an innocent explanation of where he'd gone._

 _He'd last seen Shirou after their conversation about Archer. He had a sinking feeling he knew where he'd gone._

 _"Hey," he began, forcing a steady voice, "Rider's gone to take the next watch, right?"_

 _"Yeah," Illya said, sighing. "He's probably there by now. Why, did you want to go instead?"_

 _"Nope. Just curious." He left, waited a few moments, then exited the building._

 _He sprinted through Fuyuki streets._ Shirou, _he prayed,_ don't antagonize him. I don't know what he'll do, or what this will do to you. Please be alright.

- **Sora** stood, shaking, staring, where Rider had once been.

Archer remained still, sword hardly moving.

"Rider—you—Shirou, why?"

"I am not your ally. Or had you forgotten?" Archer lowered his blade, gray eyes cold.

"But that's—you _know_ the Grail is cursed! You didn't need to kill him!" _You don't need to kill to win battles._

"He attacked. I was simply following orders." His expression tightened slightly, and Sora realized he'd done this before—both voluntarily and under someone else's command.

And Sora wondered, again, what had driven this man so far away from the boy he'd known. _What happened to Kiritsugu? Why didn't he stop you?_

He looked at the space where Rider stood and, throat tightening, wondered, _Why couldn't I have been quicker?_

Fear overtook grief in an instant. "Where is—?" He paused, unsure how to phrase the question.

" _Your_ Shirou? Who knows? Your friend told him to hide. Perhaps he's still in the forest."

He wasn't—he'd checked when he arrived. His heart magic would've tipped him off to Rider and Archer's conflict even if the noise hadn't.

"Did you kill him, too?" And he hated the way his voice wavered, that a note of fury entered his voice, because this was still _Shirou_ , even if a different version.

Archer smirked. "Not for lack of trying, but it seems there are several individuals willing to risk their safety for him."

 _Rider,_ Sora thought again, and felt guilty and grateful at the same time.

He almost missed the way Archer's face changed—to something that hinted at trouble, at something he hadn't expected to see, and he understood the look well enough from when Shirou was using heart magic. Sora's apprentice would often use his magic to start conversations, make predications, offer solutions, but the minute someone did something unexpected he fumbled, trying desperately to collect himself. Then, it'd been humorous, but now Sora recognized a similar flicker across Archer's face.

 _He doesn't know what to make of any of this. He's just trying to regain control. Find something familiar to cling to._

So Sora took a deep breath and tried to focus on the matter at hand. "I need to get past, Archer."

Archer lifted an eyebrow. "Do you, now? That seems like quite the problem for you."

He lifted his hands. "Look. No weapon. No threat. I won't hurt anything. I just need to find Shirou and leave. You let people enter during the day, right?"

A thoughtful expression crossed his face. He glanced away. For a few moments he remained silent. "Well," he mused, "I suppose that wouldn't activate the Command Seal, no."

Sora flashed a relieved smile and took a step.

His heart clenched, and the world abruptly shifted.

 **-Shirou** walked the lonely temple hallways. Moonlight occasionally broke the shadows. He wasn't sure how long he'd wandered; the hallways twisted, and he often found himself in an empty room. Occasionally a shadow seemed to draw away, further into the darkness.

He wasn't even sure what he'd do when he _found_ Sakura. He didn't know how to use Purge—could he use his heart magic, alone?

 _Maybe it has nothing to do with heart magic._

He entered a large room.

The shadows pulled away slightly.

"Sakura?" He took a tentative step. "Are you there?"

Something cold caught his leg. It jerked, lifting him and tossing him from the room. The door slammed closed.

Shirou groaned, rubbing his head. He stood, hesitated, then called, "Can I talk to you?"

No response.

He moved to the silent door, testing it, and found it locked, or braced. He summoned Vir, intending to find out, then stopped and released his weapon. Instead he sat, his back to the door. He searched for words. He started to speak, stopped, started again, and released a heavy sigh. Eventually he murmured, "I'm sorry."

He wondered if, in the grand scheme of things, this would even matter. He clenched his fists. _It matters to me._

The words spilled, suddenly free. "Rin's really worried. None of us know what's going on or what happened or—or why you took over the temple. But I have an idea. It's because you're hurt, right? Something in your past left you scared, but no one came to save you." He paused. "Until me, and I screwed it up."

The pressure on the door almost seemed to lessen.

"I'm not going to force you out. Whatever you do now is your choice. I just—I wanted to apologize. You don't have to forgive me. I just needed to say it."

He wanted, so badly, to activate his heart magic, to discover what she was feeling, how she felt about his presence and his words. He refrained.

"Well," a voice drawled, familiar yet not, "somehow I'm not surprised to see you here."

Shirou scrambled to his feet, Vir materializing.

The hooded man stepped from the darkness. _Anti-Sora,_ Shirou reminded himself. _His shadow._

The man's head was still covered, but gold eyes glinted. "Figured it out, did you? That the Servant here's another version of you."

Shirou lifted Vir, eyes narrowed warily.

"Now the question is, how much _else_ do you know?"

"What do you want?"

"Well, I'm predicting someone's going to come after you. _So,_ my job would be to drag you out. _That_ would make quite the spectacle." His voice lowered. "Whether it'll break him, or strengthen him, it should at least force a change."

Shirou activated his heart magic.

Anti-Sora lunged, dark claws forming over his hands.

Darkness touched Shirou's heart, along with various emotions and a deep, suppressed hunger. Shirou kept the connection shallow and side-stepped.

Anti-Sora's claws spun, flurries of darkness breaking free and dissipating into the air.

Shirou parried, Vir flying to the right, the left, and then he charged. Vir barred his opponent's path, and he pressed, forcing the Heartless further down the hallway. For a few moments they strained against each other, Shirou shaking, teeth gritted, feet skidding. He took another step, gradually gaining ground.

Anti-Sora glanced behind him.

Shirou pressed his advantage. He pushed, and the Heartless tumbled.

And then he slipped neatly along Shirou's side, claw extended to catch his midsection.

Shirou gasped, stumbled, then fell, swinging Vir upwards in a desperate attempt to protect himself.

Anti-Sora appeared, grappling with the Keyblade.

Shirou released it, scrambling to his feet, and re-summoned Vir, parrying strikes while Anti-Sora made an aggressive advance.

Shirou could hardly see, the dark claws blending into the shadows around them. One nicked his cheek. Another scratched his arm. _Focus. Breathe._ He parried, keeping his movements small, dipping hilt and blade in alternatives to guard.

Adrenaline spiked through the opposing heart. Magic swelled.

Shirou bent and swung just as Anti-Sora dived. He collided with the Heartless before he could disappear into the ground, slamming him from a gout of darkness.

Anti-Sora recovered quickly, claws scraping the floor, and flashed two quick swipes towards Shirou's swinging weapon.

He parried, then stabbed, switching into a slash when Anti-Sora moved beside him. A small flare of magic warned him, and he blocked the small darts thrown towards him.

Anti-Sora lunged.

Shirou stabbed, and the Heartless dodged, leaping above and bracing his hands on Vir. The Keyblade disappeared, and Shirou jammed an elbow into the Heartless's midsection. His opponent gripped his arm, claws digging deep, and slammed a flying kick into his stomach. Vir appeared in his free hand, but when he swung the Heartless dragged him around. Shirou braced, then smirked and released the tension.

His opponent stumbled, and Shirou flew closer. He landed a solid hit, sending Anti-Sora across the hallway. The Heartless collided with the wall, then flipped, bracing against the wall before pouncing.

Shirou lunged.

The Heartless sailed above him, then caught his shirt, forcing him to tumble. One large, clawed hand clamped his head, suffocating him.

Anti-Sora growled, "You know you're a memory, right? I bet your master would've preferred a real apprentice over you. That's probably why you can't help him. Why you can't help any of them."

 _It's a trick. He's trying to make me lose my will to fight._ But he choked, and the claw pressed hard. Vaguely, within the dark heart, he sensed bitterness. He forced fear back along the link, drawing on the fear of death, intensifying his own emotions through the claw clinging to his head.

 _Something inside him shifted. He'd been here before, hadn't he?_

Anti-Sora screamed. He released him and leapt backwards.

Shirou stood, but something felt different. Strange. The world seemed to thrum, alive, beneath his feet. Images flickered across his vision. _What's going on?_

Anti-Sora shook his head. His hood had fallen free, and his black, spikey hair trailed darkness.

He looked younger than his master.

Anti-Sora bared his teeth. He lifted his claws, but his golden eyes flickered uneasily.

Shirou lunged.

Anti-Sora moved to meet him.

Both slid to the side. Shirou lifted a hand, stretching towards his opponent's claw; Anti-Sora reached for Vir. The two caught their targets, and they grappled, tugging. Shirou attempted to hook one of the Heartless's legs; Anti-Sora drew closer, dragging Shirou's arms, darkness flaring around them.

 _Was that Sakura? And Rin? What was she doing here?_

 _Or was that Saber?_

Golden eyes stared and a sword faced him. A few moments later he stared at Anti-Sora again, eyes angry, instead of cold.

Shirou shook his head and released a battle cry, slamming his head into his opponent's.

Anti-Sora hissed, lifting his knee and jamming it into Shirou's midsection.

Shirou jerked, darkness burning his arms and chest, and he struggled, kicking, arms straining, until he forced himself free.

Anti-Sora slammed a claw over his head.

Shirou blocked. He pushed upward, shaking.

Anti-Sora's eyes widened briefly. He scrambled away, animalistic, and lunged at his side.

Shirou blocked, spun to meet a second, aerial attack, and slashed, nicking the Heartless's shoulder. He released a cry and swung again.

The world shifted and flared bright and blurred. The earth buckled underneath Anti-Sora, forcing him to leap away. Then it was Saber, then a masked woman he didn't know, then Kotomine, the images and places flashing by in rapid succession. And then he was back—back in that fire, ten years ago, heat licking his neck while a different man pulled him free.

A heartbeat thrummed in his mind and echoed with his. A million possibilities flooded his senses, paralyzing him, obliterating thought and sense, and for a moment he lost his sense of self. A tether between his heart and another's twitched, and almost on instinct he tried to cut it.

The sensations stopped abruptly. He gasped, falling to his knees, a shaking hand clutching his chest. _What?_

A vaguely female voice answered, _How dare you?_

Anti-Sora's head jerked. "Oh, _shit._ "

The earth beneath him jerked. Shirou tried to scramble upright.

The door opened. Someone gasped.

The ground gave way.

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Remember how memories are more deeply connected to their worlds? Shirou's just learned some of the effects of that…_

 _Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _the perspective of rider was most interesting. and another mark of the theme of-bearing the virtues and faults from before._ – Yep! Rider had a bit of his own baggage. _Sora will now have seen the Shirou as he would have been here, as someone who killed an ally of theirs. this is not as easy to ignore as having to have fought a version of Archer before..._ – Yeah, he's…not exactly happy about it, and kind of feels bad but also angry. Doesn't exactly have a lot of time to focus on it now, though.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Nooooo, you killed Rider! And he is my favorite one so far! You're evil! -_ *cackles madly* (Although, to be fair, I'll probably miss him.)

 **Parks98:** _Hmm not bad of a fight at all. Quite liked it and wow Rider is lucky for his noble phantasm. It's very effective for things such as Gate of Babylon, UBW, Ionioi Hetairoi, Zabaniya_ _：_ _Delusional Illusion and other noble phantasm that give it's user a number advantage but oh boy I can see some Noble phantasms that would actually become deadlier during Pas d'armes such as any noble phantasms that send out giant beams of destruction or need a clear target for an insta kill._ – Oh, it'd _definitely_ be a problem for the latter. It's half the reason he doesn't use it until he's scoped out his opponent. (The other half is, well, the severe drop in luck.) _I think it's very well possible that things might have still gone south for Archer but I don't think he would be this bitter shell of a man who honestly wants to kill his younger self not only to make sure none of that ever happen but so he (his younger self) would never have to be so broken like himself aka mercy kill...or something like that._ – True.

 **DPSS:** _Oh thank god! For a moment I thought tou were gonna nerf Archer again._ – Haha, nope! I've had this planned since I decided on Dinadan as a Servant, and I wanted it to be a good match.

 **ultima-owner:** _Rider's trick was a good counter to the UBW_ – Yep! Just wasn't quite enough to save him.

 **OrionGold:** _I wonder though, will we be seeing any moments between Shirou and Saber?_ – Probably not. As much as I like their relationship in cannon, here it's never really been the focus, and there's not really enough time left to explore it.

 **21freeedba:** _Time Magic would stop all of the servants. As Caster said Not even the three knight classes can escaoe a distortion of space and time._ \- I feel like I might have talked about this in a review-response at some point, but am not entirely sure. Regardless: Sora's magic is a different sort from standard Fate magic, and doesn't affect allies. Thus Lancer and Bazett's freedom, and Assassin being stuck. (I admittedly find it kind of odd that Bazett wasn't mentioned, though?)

 **20fredds1:** _I think Sora's Time Stop would work on the servants. Because like Caster said to Archer during their fight. Not even the three knight classes e.g. Saber can escape a distortion of space and time._ – Is this the same person as above?

 **Xcrouse39:** _Who's stronger than Angra Mainyu or Twilight Xemnas. Considering they both have the power to destroy worlds. Dark Sakura vs Twilight Xemnas. Who would win in a fight._ – Going to combine these two questions. Angra Mainyu, as "All the Evils of the World," is an incredibly corruptive force, even though as a Servant he was very weak. Going by _Servant_ terms, Twilight Xemnas is stronger at base, but Angra Mainyu's curse is effective enough to corrupt more powerful items/opponents. As the corrupt Grail, I think it could overwhelm him—though that's if there's no restraints, such as Dark Sakura, who I believe Xemnas can defeat. _So which do you consider the stronger weapon the X - Blade or EA._ – That's…actually a really good question. Hmm. I think the two would be _pretty_ closely matched, honestly; one holds the power of the Heart of All Worlds, the other can destroy all worlds. Now _that_ would be a terrifying battle…

 _If you have any thoughts or comments, leave them in a review!_


	86. Against the World

_Here's chapter eighty – six! Thank you Yolea Irk's, ultima-owner, and Tenservantgs39 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Six: Against the World**

Sora stared at a dark form, crouched on white floors. The image shivered and static filtered over the top. _What is this?_ He lifted a hand, and realized, abruptly, that he was wearing different gloves.

Figures, blurry, wandered around the figure. _Riku? Kairi?_

A female voice whispered, _Look what your apprentice has done now._

"Sh-Shirou?"

The dark figure coughed. The background changed and became solid. Temple steps led to a shocked Archer. Anti-Sora still lay curled, groaning. He flashed amber eyes to his other and grinned mirthlessly. "Looks like we've overstayed our welcome."

The world rocked and shifted under their feet. Eyes glowed from the shadows.

Something pressed and constricted around Sora's heart. He fell, unable to gasp, to breathe, his eyes forced wide, his mind nearly blank.

Vaguely, he heard a familiar voice shouting, "The World…Shirou connected to… _shit._ "

A Dream Eater lunged.

Sora reacted instinctively, summoning the Kingdom Key.

The Aura Lion snarled, pressing on the blade.

His shadow stalked between the Dream Eaters, head darting, seemingly looking for an escape, while they hedged him in.

Archer had taken refuge on higher ground, launching volleys of arrows into the creatures. He gave Sora a hooded look. _Did you do this? Did you bring them?_

The pressure wouldn't go away. His head and chest throbbed. His Keyblade slashed outward, releasing a brief, wild streak of light. He gritted his teeth and reach for his magic. The process was slow, difficult, as if he were trying to stretch through thick, clinging mud. He mentally touched the space. He fumbled, and activating the magic felt more like unlocking a door.

A connection flooded between him and the world. The pressure eased, but his vision blazed white. For a few moments he couldn't see. Then, vaguely, images flickered around him, weaving past. He stretched a hand, and the pictures fractured, particles trailing behind; the image reformed once past him, continuing on its path.

 _Look around you, Keybearer,_ a familiar, female voice whispered, everywhere and nowhere, tired and lacking the usual hostility. _Heroes have forged their own paths since time immemorial. Even before the worlds truly formed._

An ancient memory—one Sora wasn't sure he was supposed to see—flickered: a heart-shaped moon, a gate, and a mysterious figured holding a sword-like Keyblade.

 _Keybearers have long been treated as such. They were, once, when we were still small, and their hearts still pure. But corrupted by power, they created the very darkness they sought to keep at bay. And tainted by darkness, they left worlds they deemed unimportant to die._

He'd heard this before—Alaya had told him, filled with calm determination. But now he watched a world struggling with contamination, tired and desperate, until it discovered that its own heroes could combat that contamination, too. The world fragmented beneath conflicting values, as heroes grew from both their own power and the world's.

 _But now you have brought darkness here again. Do you know what your apprentice has done? He has connected directly to my heart. Should he return to the outside worlds, what then?_

"Alaya—"

 _You came too late, Keybearer, and have only confirmed what I already know. Whatever your intentions, you are mortal. Fallible. I have spent far too long allowing others to act out my whims._

"Wait—Alaya, don't—"

 _Goodbye, Keybearer._

A force slammed into his chest. The strange, white world disappeared, and he realized an Aura Lion now perched above him, claws digging into his shoulders. He lifted his feet and kicked. The Aura Lion snarled, but released him, and he rolled away, lifting the Kingdom Key. "Aeroga!" Wind spiraled around him, striking the Dream Eaters, tearing dirt and whipping leaves.

The tension remained in his chest and tightened. He staggered. Something seemed to pull him, almost helplessly, backwards. The wind died, and Sora slammed the Kingdom Key's tip into the ground, coated in ice. The sharpened, reinforced spear pierced the rock.

Anti-Sora hissed, claws scrabbling frantically. His form flickered and tugged, darkness writhing skyward.

Sora gritted his teeth. _No._ "Purge!" Light flared through the cracks. The Dream Eaters hesitated. The ice sparkled and shattered. Energy flooded through Sora's arms in glowing veins. A faint, white hue covered the ground, and pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.

Then the world screamed. Darkness writhed like wind above the ground. The shriek seemed to resonate inside Sora's mind, shattering his vision, briefly turning him deaf.

The Keyblade pulsed beneath his fingertips.

He clenched the hilt tighter and activated his heart magic. The tendril flashed towards the world. Pain and darkness returned. Sora sucked a deep breath and tried to send his own feelings back: his determination, his fear, and whatever light he could find, hidden within every corner of his heart.

It wasn't enough. The darkness forced its way back along the link.

Sora fell to his knees, hands shaking, still gripping the Kingdom Key. His vision went white, then black. A clinging cold spread rapidly through his chest. The feeling in his fingers began to fade.

A voice—maybe his own, or maybe a memory—whispered, _What can one man do against a world?_

A chain rattled. A heart, though shrouded, pulsed.

Another voice, quieter, responded, _But what about more than one?_

He lifted blind eyes. Pulsing specks, flickering with light and darkness, fell across his vision. His breath stuck in his throat, clogged by darkness. He forced the Keyblade deeper almost unconsciously, and spread his heart magic.

Each heart suddenly came alive, connected by glowing white tendrils. Forms became barely distinct amongst the darkness. Emotions—simple, such as fear or surprise or determination, and a few more complex—connected the Dream Eaters.

Anti-Sora, he soon realized, had long disappeared, but Archer remained. One final tendril shot from the assorted Dream Eaters to the perched Servant.

Bitterness and confusion and surprise and deep, pulsating regret and steely determination flooded the link, and with it came images too quickly for Sora to process.

His mind numbed. His chest constricted. He thought he screamed. Some part of him whispered, _Control it._

He gritted his teeth. The combined emotions and memories stretched from their hearts to his.

 _Your greatest ability—your only saving grace—is the ability to link hearts. To use their combined power. Use it._

The darkness released Sora's heart. Light slowly pushed it back. Faintly, amidst the pain, amidst the turmoil, he sensed the world's surprise.

He choked and slid. One hand released the Kingdom Key; faintly he realized he'd braced it against the ground. Sounds and fear and pain and confusion and determination and hunger and eagerness and terror and—

 _Darkness._

 _Light._

 _Control it._

 _I can't._

 _Control it._

His vision flooded with images of places and individuals he'd never seen. Somewhere, he sensed his connection to the other hearts shifting, waning. He screamed and closed his eyes. Something snapped.

He opened his eyes again slowly, shaking.

Kairi watched him, eyes widened, mouthing, "Sora," over and over again.

Terror—she was scared of him, scared for him, uncertain and sad and still reeling from their fight. "Kairi," he babbled, "Kairi, _help me_."

And he also sensed love, and that overrode her fear, but not his, and he flinched away even as she tried to touch him, and he immediately sensed her disappointment and uncertainty.

"I can't stop, I can't turn it off, it won't—"

He thought maybe she'd asked what he couldn't stop, but it was her emotions—the concern, the love stomping down the fear and pain and uncertainty, that spoke more to him.

He tried to take deep breaths and find his words, but he couldn't, and he couldn't let her touch him, couldn't get close, but very much wanted to.

Slowly, slowly, she forced him to look at him.

He caught his breath, and managed, finally, "I can't stop feeling _everything._ "

 _You're a fool. You'd forgotten what happened the last time you did this, didn't you?_

He screamed and swung. His vision flickered and returned. A long, wild wave of light forced the Dream Eaters away.

For a few moments the world remained still. Sora shook, panted, and collapsed. The Kingdom Key disappeared. Silence followed. A few leaves fell around him.

Alaya whispered, _You drained all your strength in a hopeless fight, Keybearer. What was it for?_

His gaze flickered to the temple gates.

 _I see. You truly cannot bear to be hurt again, can you?_

Despite his state he started.

 _You were not the only one to glimpse memories you should not have seen._

The tension returned. The Dream Eaters crept closer.

 _The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I'm sorry._

He almost laughed; he almost cried. Instead he fumbled to stand, trying vainly to summon the Kingdom Key. A few sparks flickered around his fingertips.

A Dream Eater lunged. Almost immediately an arrow pierced it.

Archer stood at the temple's gate now, bow lifted. He fired several more volleys, cutting through the Dream Eaters.

 _Shirou?_ For once, he couldn't read Archer's expression.

Then, _Shirou!_ He found the strength to move on wobbling hands and feet, nearly standing, trying to move up the stairs.

The force slammed into his chest and constricted around his heart.

He stumbled backwards, hand instinctively flying towards his chest. His gaze flicked to the temple beyond.

The world shifted.

 _No._ He made one, final, desperate attempt to move.

The force swept him off his feet. The world flickered and disappeared, replaced by a mass of colors.

 _No!_

Sensation disappeared into darkness. His mind floated.

 _I'm sorry._

 _I can't—I don't know what's going to happen, how am I—_

For a moment he thought he stood amongst flames, a shaking, burned boy clutching his Keyblade.

 _How am I ever going to protect you now?_

* * *

 _And that's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Oh no. Shirou... he's accidentally connected his magic with Alaya or Gaia, isn't he? Urgh. Urgh. This is gonna get worse._ – Yep; Alaya's the one who reacted, specifically, but Shirou's…made a bit of a mistake.

 **ultima-owner:** _Anti-sora got a glimpse of the root and the world is very angry with him._ – Actually, Shirou's the one who connected. She _is_ trying to force Anti-Sora out, but that's because, much like normal Sora, he doesn't belong there.

 **Tenservantgs39:** _You do know Heartless are immune to normal weapons like guns right._ – Actually, considering that Sora could beat them up with a stick later in KH1, I wouldn't say they're _entirely_ immune. (Okay, wooden sword, and you could argue that it's because he still technically wielded the Keyblade, but still.) Regardless, Kiritsugu's gun isn't exactly "normal," and (assuming you've gotten far enough to see this) those aren't actually Heartless.

 _If you have any thoughts or questions, drop a review and let me know!_


	87. Gaia

_Here's chapter eighty – seven! Thank you reality deviant, Yolea Irk's, DPSS, ultima-owner, and archerforlife2 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Seven: Gaia**

Emi steered the Gummi ship. Worlds passed, some so far away they still looked like stars, some close enough to recognize. _That's Deep Jungle, isn't it? Oh, and there's Wonderland. But I don't recognize_ that _world._ She turned towards the unfamiliar area. A small map hovered beside her, constellations glittering, with a small, red dot indicating their destination.

Melody leaned forward, expression unusually serious.

Rai focused out the window, fidgeting.

Emi's fingers tightened around the wheel. _Maybe there's nothing wrong. Maybe I'm just being paranoid._ She shook her head. _Then there shouldn't be a problem going, right? We can find out what's going on and go back._ She sighed. _I_ hope _everything's okay._

"Hey," Rai said, "is that it?"

An unfamiliar world loomed ahead. Emi double-checked the map. "Yeah. I think so."

Melody laughed dryly. "This is kind of exciting, you know? Now just to make sure those two weren't eaten by Heartless."

Rai said, "Heartless don't _eat_ people, they take their hearts. And Aqua said it's the world we have to worry about, not them." His expression changed to something more uncertain, then he shook his head and wiped it away.

Emi moved towards it. "It'll be fine. Just respect the world, right?"

They entered the world's atmosphere. The Gummi ship rocked. Emi pressed forward, then drew the ship up when they neared the ground. They hovered, then landed. The door opened slowly.

A grassy field extended around them as far as they could see. A few rocks peppered the area. A mountain appeared in the distance. If Emi squinted, she thought she could just make out something resembling a town or city.

Melody scuffed the dirt. "Not what I imagined a man-eating world to look like."

Rai asked, "So, where do we start?"

Emi started when both looked to her. "U-um." She turned back towards the mountain. "We'll head that way. That looks like some sort of civilization, right? So maybe that's where Shirou and Sora are."

Her friends nodded and followed her.

"Or at least," she added quietly, "maybe we can ask someone."

They walked silently a few moments. "Do you wonder," Melody began, "what Shirou thinks about returning to his home world?"

Rai shot her a side-long look.

"I mean, I think about my world a lot. And my parents. I like to visit, you know? Just to make sure they're okay."

Rai added, "And to show off."

"Do not!" She grew quiet. "It's always weird, though. I mean, you don't really realize how _different_ you are until you come back with a world-changing weapon."

Rai said, "That's why I've never gone back. Besides, we have a new family." He nudged Emi, his expression hiding concern.

She gave him a strained smile. "If—If I had the chance to return to my home world, I think I'd like to. So I understand why Shirou would want to come back, even if it holds bad memories." He'd told them all about the fire. She'd gone through her own hell; no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his guilt, his uncertainty, and his fear shown through. _But unlike me, he doesn't have anything to feel guilty about._

Darkness flared ahead.

Emi's Keyblade materialized.

Melody shouted, "Fire!"

A Heartless screeched, shadows dissipating.

Rai called, "They're attacking someone! You see that shape?"

Emi nodded. She sprinted towards them, shouted, "Blizzaga!" She used the ice to form a barrier around the prone figured, still mostly cover in grass. She perched on top, casting a side-long glance at the individual. _That hair looks familiar._

Melody shouted, "Emi, look out!"

Heartless hurried towards her, then exploded, mines sending them skyward.

Rai grinned, twirling his Keyblade. "Zero Gravity." A few Heartless around him floated.

Melody leapt, Keyblade coated in fire, and struck them.

Shadows appeared within Emi's barrier. "Thunder!" Lightning struck the small Heartless. A Large Body materialized, but fell soon after, speared by a large ice shard.

The area fell quiet. Emi leapt into her barricade, taking tentative steps towards the figure.

Melody asked, "Emi, is that guy alright?"

Emi rolled him over, her voice catching in her throat.

"Emi?"

She recollected herself.

"It's Sora!"

 **-Aqua** landed, dismissing her Keyblade Glider. Flowers waved around her legs. A small hut stood a short distance away. A little further, an old woman tended to some plants around a small, non-descript stone.

The grass trailed water along Aqua's legs. As she grew closer, the woman's muttering came into focus: "…idiot. You stirring up trouble even after you die? Can't replace these flowers fast enough."

"Excuse me?" Aqua drew a little closer. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

The woman stopped and turned slowly. Her gray hair had been tied tightly into a ponytail. Her face was worn with age, wrinkles creased around her frown, but her blue eyes were steely, powerful. She fingered a gem around her neck. "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just looking for some people. I'm new here."

"Well, that _would_ explain why you're all the way out here." She gave the air around the hut a sharp look. "Wouldn't you prefer to go to the city, hmm?"

"City?"

"Yes, yes. Fuyuki's a long hike on foot, but I'm sure you can catch a ride somewhere. You'll hardly find anyone you're looking for around here."

"Perhaps you could give me directions?"

The old woman sighed. "Very well."

Aqua moved to follow.

"Stay put." The woman gave her a harsh look. "I'll fetch a map and be back." She entered the hut, door closing swiftly.

Aqua frowned and shifted. Eventually she turned to the stone.

 _A grave,_ she realized, abruptly reminded of the graves back at Disney Castle. Her eyes softening, she knelt, careful not to disrupt the arranged plants.

Marigolds and lavender hemmed the grave. A few weeds and dead flowers lay nearby. The grass over the grave, in contrast to the rest of the area, remained carefully cut. A few strange flowers, almost crystal-like, emerged between the other flowers. The stone was rough-cut, but a careful hand printed a name: Shirou Emiya.

Aqua stared.

The woman returned. "I've circled the city and drawn the best route. Should probably head to one of the nearby towns and take a bus." Her footsteps stopped. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Aqua shook her head. "No, sorry. I just know someone named Shirou. It surprised me."

"Mmm." The woman knelt, placing the map beside her. "Thought you might've been someone he saved, once. It would explain why you seem so clueless, for a magus."

She frowned, but filed the words away for another time. "Who was he? I assume he's someone close to you, if you've moved here to tend his grave."

The woman shot her a sharp look.

"Or did you just bury him here?"

The woman snorted, turning away. Her eyes flickered and she seemed to debate something.

A faint humming stirred the air. The humming grew, until it resembled the sound of engines.

The woman huffed, "What is _that_?" She stood, hand clasping her necklace again.

Aqua squinted. A Gummi ship neared them. It circled, then returned, settling near the hut.

Aqua's eyes stretched wide.

Donald and Goofy appeared first. Goofy waved. "Hello, Master Aqua!"

"What are you two doing here?"

"Three," a new voice responded. Riku stepped from the ship, hands slipping into his pockets.

"Where's Sora?" Donald asked. "We heard he was in trouble."

"And Shirou," Goofy added.

Aqua's gaze switched rapidly between the two. "How did you—?"

Riku coughed, looking pointedly beyond her.

The old woman's eyes had narrowed dangerously. Her hand clutched the jewel tighter, knuckles white, a faint light glowing between her fingers. "Alright. You'd better start explaining."

Aqua lifted her hands. "Please, we don't mean any harm. I didn't even know they were coming." She cast the others a sharp glance. "We're looking for our friends, Sora and Shirou. They haven't been in contact with us, and we wanted to make sure they're alright."

The woman lifted her chin. Her gaze slid to the Gummi Ship. "You aren't mages, are you?"

"Probably not like what you're used to."

Riku commented, "You're taking that awfully well."

"You see a few things, over the years." Her gaze remained flinty. "But you _are_ anomalies. You wouldn't have had dealings with Alaya, by any chance?"

Aqua asked, "Alaya?" She exchanged looks with Riku, who shrugged.

Goofy said, "Gawrsh, is that the name of the world?"

Donald glanced around, staff materializing.

The woman's shoulders dropped. "Well. Your certainly don't _seem_ dangerous." She glanced aside and seemed to come to some sort of decision. "I'll put on some tea. Then we can discuss things further. May I know who I'm invited into my house?"

Aqua laid a hand on her chest. "My name is Aqua. These are Riku, Donald, and Goofy."

Riku nodded; Donald and Goofy offered salutes.

The woman flashed a crinkled smile. "My name is Rin."

 **-Sora** stirred. Voices registered on the edge of his hearing. He groaned. Blurry shapes flickered over his view. A faint green glow haloed his vision.

"…aking…"

"…ra. Sora. Can you hear me?"

His vision focused. Emi leaned over him, eyes stretched wide, fingers glowing green. Melody knelt on his opposite side, eyes scrunched closed, hands flaring the same color.

Rai called, "Hey, I'm back with a cloth!"

Sora started to rise.

Emi panicked and tried to push him back down.

Melody's eyes snapped open. "He's awake?" She and Rai swarmed him, babbling, asking what was wrong and what happened and complaining, while Emi waved flustered hands and tried to quiet them.

Sora held his head. He closed his eyes. "What are you three doing here?"

He wasn't sure he'd even be heard, so he was surprised when they quickly quieted. Melody answered, "We came looking for you and Shirou. We hadn't heard anything from you."

"You wouldn't. We—" He paused, eyes snapping wider abruptly. "Wait, how _did_ you get here? Where are we?" He started forward, then gasped, clutching his heart.

Rai and Melody supported him on both sides. Rai murmured, "Easy, Master."

Emi said, "We're on Shirou's world. Aren't we?" She exchanged an uneasy glance with Melody.

Sora's eyes flicked across the field. The only trace of a city he could see was in the far distance. He tried to stand. "I have to get back—Shirou— _damn it_." He fell, catching himself. "Send me to—you don't know how. And Alaya's never going to let me and Shirou's still stuck there but he's alone and," and his breathing was coming faster and his chest constricted painfully and he wasn't sure if it was fear or lingering injury from his desperate fight against the world.

 _I failed. Some Keyblade Master I am._

" _Breathe_ , Sora," Emi ordered, her voice strained. She rested a hand on his back, widened eyes failing to hide her own growing fear. "What's going on? Where's Shirou?"

"You know," Rai commented, "this really isn't inspiring confidence."

Sora met each gaze in turn. His shoulders fell. He settled into the grass.

"Sora," Melody began, and her voice was hard, "what's going on?"

Now he marveled at the fact that he couldn't look at any of them. "Are you sure you want to know? You aren't going to like it."

Silence for several moments. The grass rustled. Melody said, "Of course we want to know. You guys need help, right?"

"And," Rai added, "if you don't tell us, we'll just go looking ourselves."

Melody snorted and elbowed him, eliciting a quiet protest.

Emi remained still and silent.

Sora thought about warning them away; a part of him recoiled. He turned aside. "It's just." He paused, pressed his lips. "It's." His fingers curled into the grass, almost said 'nothing,' then blurted before he could think about it, "Do you remember learning about a world's memories?"

A few moments of surprised silence passed. "You mean," Melody began carefully, "what the Puppter Master brought to torment you guys? Yeah, we've heard about it."

" _Melody_ ," Rai hissed.

"What? It's true. Aqua talks about that stuff a lot." She paused. "N-not about the individual Keybladers though! So, ah, don't worry about that. But what's that got to do with this?"

"W-well, you know—you know a Keyblader who's earned the trust of a world's heart can access their memories freely." He lifted his head.

Emi's eyes were wide, fingers tight into the hem of her shirt.

Sora's mouth went dry. He whispered, "When—when I first came to this world, I sensed corruption, and entered a memory by accident. I didn't mean to—to cause damage. I hadn't done this too much before. I just sensed something wrong. And then I found Shirou."

No one spoke.

Sora held Emi's gaze, unable to look at the apprentices, to see their reactions; at least Emi's remained unchanging. "The world kept us confined to the memory when we returned, to try and contain the damage, I think. Or maybe it was instinctual because of Shirou's connection to it. I don't know. But the world forced me out, and Shirou's still there, so we have to—"

"Sora," Emi interrupted, and suddenly he wished he wasn't looking at Emi, after all, "is Shirou in danger?"

He paused. Swallowed. "Yes."

"Then let's find him." She stood.

Sora blinked. "Really?"

"He's our friend."

Melody grinned, though it seemed forced. "We wouldn't be the first to care about weird people, right? Besides, it's still the same person we trained beside. We'll give him hell later."

Rai still seemed stunned. "Well. Great. I can save processing this until later."

Emi smiled, but she suddenly cast Sora an uncertain look. "Do you, ah, know how to get back?"

Sora's gaze flashed between the three. He rubbed his head. "The world doesn't _want_ me back. That's why it kicked me out in the first place. We'd need another Keyblader who knows how to enter dreams."

Melody suggested, "Like Riku?"

"That—that would probably work, but he's not—"

But the three were exchanging broad grins. Emi asked, "Can you activate your heart magic and look for Riku?"

"You told him to come _here_?"

Melody planted hands on her hips. "He's your friend. We figured he'd want to know."

Sora puffed a sigh. He activated his magic. "This might not work, if he's too far." He stretched tendrils lightly across the earth. Grass, bugs, birds—small hearts flashed across his consciousness. Then his magic brushed a bigger heart, familiar, beating in sync with his own.

He launched to his feet.

Rai protested, "What's wrong _now_?"

"I wasn't the only one kicked out of the memory."

* * *

 _How many of you guys remember the old woman from way back in the story's beginning, talking about Alaya? Probably not a lot, but she's finally returned! Rin's actually been in this story for quite a while…_

 _Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _did you just kill sora?_ – While it's a fair concern, nope. He's still alive.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Great. It is official now that I despised Alaya, never mind she's actually mankind's survival instinct. I hope Sora hasn't die yet, if he did then my heart broke for real (sob)._ – He still lives! I'm just going to pass along a box of Band-Aids in case, though…

 **DPSS:** _Whelp, things have gone from bad to worse. Now Shirou is missing and Sora is about to be forced out of that world. The only good thing is that Archer is in the mood to help right now._ – Well, out of the memory, but similar issue. And Archer has some exciting things in store…

 **ultima-owner:** _A single stick can't do much but a ton of sticks can pack a punch_ – Yep! That's basically Sora's thinking.

 **archerforlife2:** _Sora doesn't really need Donald and Goofy for his drive forms._ – Okay…?

 _Any questions, comments, concerns? Drop a review and let me know!_


	88. Mirror

_Here's chapter eighty – eight! Thank you Kiri Kaitou Clover, OrionGold, LilMate, Yolea Irk's, ultima-owner, and for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Eight: Mirror**

Aqua sipped her tea, eyeing the woman warily.

Rin fingered her jewel, staring thoughtfully into her cup. "So. You four are inter-world travelers?"

"That's right."

Donald still looked mildly upset about revealing that. Aqua made a note to apologize later.

"And the boy, Shirou, came from this world? That's why your friends have returned?"

"Yes."

Rin pushed her tea away, sighing. She seemed to debate something, then murmured, "You said Sora pulled him from a fire. Do I have that right?"

Aqua nodded, studying the woman's sad, nostalgic expression.

Rin sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Have you ever heard of something called the Kaleidoscope?"

Aqua shook her head.

Goofy said, "Isn't that one of those things that make you see copies of a picture?" He mimed putting something to his eye.

Rin said, "What I'm referring to is, in essence, multiple timelines. Each world has infinite possibilities. Infinite paths individuals can take."

 _Those sound like memories._ Aqua unconsciously curled a fist.

"I suspect you could enter one timeline from another at any given point, regardless of the time in your 'home' line." She paused. "A long time ago, I knew a man named Shirou Emiya. He wanted desperately to be a hero, all due to a man who pulled him from a massive fire when he was young."

Aqua tensed.

Riku asked, "Are you saying—?"

"I believe your friend, Sora, must have entered another timeline, at the point of the Great Fuyuki fire. As for how, I have no idea." Her eyes narrowed, and her fingers drummed the table thoughtfully.

Riku stood abruptly and left the house.

Aqua murmured, "We might have some ideas." She stood, nodded, muttered, "Excuse me," and followed.

Riku stared at the grave when she caught him. "So," he murmured, "this is where the _real_ Shirou rests, huh?"

"Riku—"

"I should have known. Sora's my best friend. He was acting weird, but I hadn't seen him in so long, I wasn't sure. But I should have been."

Aqua rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Sora avoided all of us."

"I should've tried harder."

"You did what you thought was right."

Riku snorted, and didn't look entirely convinced, but fell silent for several heartbeats. "Guess we know why the world's mad."

"Yeah. Sora probably wasn't even thinking when he entered the dream world. I doubt he even realized it, at first." She sighed. "Now we have to figure out what to do. It's not Shirou's fault, but at the same time, he puts this world in danger."

"Is there any way to disconnect a memory from its home world?"

"Maybe, but we don't know the effect that would have on a memory, either. It might destroy him, regardless."

The grass rustled. A dark shape shifted, barely visible, between the strands.

Riku and Aqua both summoned their Keyblades.

Riku approached first, parting the grass with his blade.

The shape moved, blurred, leaping away and crouching, back arched like a terrified cat. A hood just barely covered the figure's hair, but didn't hide the golden eyes, widened and fixed on Riku.

Aqua approached and frowned. "Who are you?"

Riku had frozen, meeting the creature's gaze with equal surprise.

Aqua eyed him, then drew a little closer.

The figure jerked, then lashed, backpedaling, returning to a hunched standing position. "Stay back." The voice was rough, weary, but familiar.

Aqua stared a few moments. Then she asked, "Sora?"

The shadow flashed a nervous look her way, eyes darting quickly back to Riku.

"Hey!" Donald called. "What's going on over there?"

The shadow— _Sora, this is Sora_ —drew into himself, then turned as if to flee.

Riku caught him.

"Let me go." He bared his teeth, but the action didn't match his eyes.

"What happened to you?"

Sora's eyes flickered nervously past him—back towards Donald and Goofy. Something uncertain, like the ghost of a memory, passed over his face. His yellow gaze hardly lingered on Aqua or Rin.

 _He doesn't recognize me._ Warning bells flared in Aqua's mind. She examined him more closely. His clothes were different; his features were younger. Darkness radiated from him. "Riku—"

"I know." He lowered his voice. "Where did you come from?"

Sora relaxed a little, looking at the hand still clasping his arm. He chuckled. "You're not like the Riku I knew. Figures. Let me go. I'll leave you alone."

"We can help you."

" _Let me go_." He faced him, eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm not here for you." His voice dropped. "Please."

Riku hesitated.

"Aqua!" a voice called.

Another, more surprised, asked, "Donald? Goofy?"

The two chorused, "Sora!"

Sora— _their_ Sora—approached, Emi, Melody, and Rai following close behind. Sora skidded to a halt, hands half-extended as if not quite sure what to do. "What are you guys doing here?"  
Goofy said, "Emi called us."

Donald waved his staff. "You shouldn't run off and do dangerous things on your own! That's what friends are for."

Emi paused, gave them a hesitant glance, then hurried past to Riku.

Sora's gaze followed. He pursed his lips. "So. You got kicked out, too."

Aqua frowned. "What do you mean?"

The other Sora eyed them. He crouched again, darkness spiraling around his claws.

 **-Sora** watched his shadow, unsure how to respond. Should he summon his Keyblade? Should he send the memory away?

Melody called, "Hey! You're the guy who got Shirou to come here in the first place, right?" She stalked towards him.

For once, Anti Sora didn't seem to have a response. His eyes kept flicking towards Riku, towards Donald and Goofy, and beyond, as if looking for someone else.

Rai said, "Melody, wait," and caught her arm.

The girl stopped.

Aqua took a few tentative steps. "Sora? You _are_ another version of Sora, aren't you? From a memory."

Anti Sora's flinched.

Sora started.

Abruptly yellow eyes flashed towards him. They took in the space between him, Donald, and Goofy, and for a moment they narrowed in fury. Then he relaxed, standing upright, hands held loosely by his side. He smirked. "Well, Sora. Looks like your friends don't need you to figure things out." He tilted his head. "You going to send them away again?"

Donald squawked, "We aren't going anywhere!"

Anti Sora moved, quicker than anyone could react. Darkness blurred and reappeared, claws wrapped tightly around Emi's mouth and throat.

Riku moved.

Anti Sora leapt away from the slash, claws stretching towards the young Keyblader's heart. "So quick to strike down a friend, Riku? I guess some things don't change across memories. But can you get to her before I take her heart?"

"You can't—"

"Why not? I _am_ a Heartless." His gaze focused on Sora. "Maybe a _lot_ of things don't change across memories. The 'real' Sora's a Heartless, too, right? You've seen him turn into one before. Would you be as quick to attack if it were _him_ holding the girl hostage?"

Riku tensed.

Aqua hissed, "That's enough! Let her go. We don't need to fight."

Anti Sora's gaze never faltered. "Come on. Let's be real here. You _know_ that he can turn if he gives into darkness, right?"

"But he won't." Riku flashed him a look. "I trust him."

"Right." Anti Sora's claws tightened.

Emi's Keyblade materialized, back-handed, and stabbed.

Anti Sora leapt free, leaving Emi to scramble away.

A shot fired towards the Heartless, barely missing. The old woman stood, finger smoking. "I won't miss again. Leave."

Sora blinked. _Is that_ Rin _?_

Anti Sora phased into the ground.

For a few moments the group searched in tense silence. Donald asked, "Is he gone?"

Abruptly a shadow materialized from the ground, yellow eyes gleaming.

Donald squawked, whipping around, but Aqua sent a fire blast, forcing the Heartless away. He disappeared into the ground again.

This time he reappeared in front of Rin, and nearly got blasted for his troubles. He flipped over her, and the attack flew towards Aqua instead, who parried.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key, eyeing the ground. A dark shape slithered towards Melody. "Behind you!"

Melody whipped around, Keyblade bursting into flames, when Anti Sora emerged. The memory turned his body, toppling into a back-flip, neatly dodging Rai's charge. He spun and dodged Melody's swing, twisting her feet from beneath her and fumbling Rai's attempt to recover.

Aqua began, "Stop—" A quick volley of dark blasts cut her off, and she parried.

Anti Sora phased into the ground, dodging the reflected attack, sliding across the ground.

Sora leapt, dodging the blows, but hesitated to strike. _He's using our attacks against us._

Anti Sora appeared in front of Aqua, claws stretched.

She leaned backwards, swinging her Keyblade up beside the Heartless. "Blizzaga." The ice exploded around her, trapping them.

Sora whipped towards Riku. "He can still—"

"Wait."

Lightning flashed, striking precisely into the ice's center. The crystals exploded in glittering fragments, revealing Aqua clutching Anti Sora to her chest, the lightning causing her hair to lift.

Sora flashed wide eyes to Riku.

When the spell ended Goofy forced them apart, shield in place, while Donald cast a Cura over Aqua.

Emi stepped in, lifting her blade.

Anti Sora tried to block but failed, his claws forced high.

Emi followed with a series of quick strikes, hitting his midsection and arm before Anti Sora regained enough sense to parry. Melody appeared behind him, tripping him and causing him to nearly fall into Rai's mines. He caught himself at the last moment, launching from his hands.

Sora ran to meet him, and the two spun to meet each other. For a few moments they stared, blue eyes meeting yellow, darkness steadily gaining on one, the other lacking any aura. For a moment the form shifted, and he stood in a white room, staring down a more mindless, yellow-bead-eyed version of himself.

The world returned, and Anti Sora watched him impassively, darkness blazing.

Sora lifted a hand, activated his magic, and reached.

 _ **-Sora**_ _stood in a hall of mirrors. He paced through them slowly. Different drive forms flickered inside them, but he ignored the red, the blue, the yellow, and continued his path towards the largest, illustrating the hovering body of Anti form. A few prone shapes lay behind him._

 _Sora's breath shook. He touched his reflection's fingers._

 _The shape changed to the memory, the shapes behind the same, but in a different, darker place. The world flipped, and Sora fell through the mirror, water bubbling around him. After a time his body righted itself, and fell slower, until he landed on an invisible surface._

 _Sora glanced about, confused. Darkness shrouded him. His fingers seemed coated in it. He blinked several times. Gradually his eyes adjusted, and a faint, dark corridor came into focus._

 _A small Shadow skittered along the floor. Sora summoned the Kingdom Key._

 _The Heartless stopped. It cocked its head, but didn't move to attack._

 _Sora lowered his blade. Hesitantly he extended a small portion of his magic. A heart—still buried by darkness—resonated with his. "You're me, aren't you?"_

 _The darkness swirled around them, taking the Heartless away. He heard, very faintly, a voice much like his own, but younger, rougher, something almost seeming to coat it. "Riku. Kairi. I found you." His voice broke. "I knew I'd find you, but it's—it's been so long."_

 _Figures came into view. His Heartless, now vaguely-human; Riku, hair long, scars covering his arms and stretching from beneath his shirt collar, some hybrid of a black coat and armor covering him; Kairi, hair pulled back, a Keyblade clasped tightly in her hands._

 _His Heartless reached for them._

 _Riku took a wary step away._

 _"Stay here. Please. Stay with me. The other Heartless, they don't talk, they don't think about anything but getting hearts. It's lonely here."_

 _Neither responded._

 _His Heartless whipped around. "You'll get used to the darkness after a while. It's not so bad. Right, Riku?"_

 _The boy flinched, and Sora recognized the guilt in that expression—that_ he'd _been the first to dive into the darkness, that_ he'd _gotten them to the point where Sora had to go to such extremes to save Kairi, that_ he'd _been the reason they'd had to leave without their friend. His fault._

 _But the Heartless didn't recognize it, hadn't been around Riku for a long time, and didn't know what had transpired. He faltered a moment, then caught both of their hands, tugging them after him. "Come on. You'll like it here. I've been looking for you guys for a long time. It's been a long time." He looked confused a moment, like he'd lost his train of thought, his smile faltering. "We can play like we used to, on the Island. Remember? It's still here, you know. I found my old house. I bet we could find yours, too. Or we could just set up at my place!"_

 _Kairi looked stricken; Riku hid it a little better, gaze darting aside. The two glanced at each other, then gently pulled free._

 _"Huh?" He cocked his head, the movement unnatural, almost Shadow-like. "What are you guys doing?"_

 _"Sora," Kairi whispered, "we can't stay here. You know that."_

 _"What do you mean?" His voice hadn't changed; Sora suspected he hadn't even registered what she'd said._

 _"We don't belong here." She paused, then hurried, "But maybe we can help you! If you let us." Her eyes flashed with a desperate hope, of someone who believed they'd lost a loved one forever, and now was_ so close _to getting them back._

 _Riku's expression said something different; it said that he was staring at a monster of his own creation, and now he'd have to fix his mess, even if it meant destroying his former friend._

 _"Can't stay?"_

 _"No, Sora." Kairi's voice turned gentle. "We can't stay with you. There's a lot to do outside."_

 _Riku said, "The Heartless are wreaking havoc, even with Ansem. We have to protect the worlds we can."_

 _The Heartless blinked, looking like he didn't understand. "But—I promised. I promised I'd find you."_

 _"We'll be back," Kairi whispered. "I promise. We won't leave you here in the darkness. We'll find some way to get you back." The two turned to leave._

 _The Heartless lunged, gripping both arms. "No! You can't leave. Look, look, I'll take you to the beach, okay? To the play island. I'll make sure the other Heartless leave you alone. They won't hurt you."_

 _"Sora." Kairi's voice turned sad, tired._

 _Riku said, "We need to leave." His voice, while harder, Sora recognized as a farce. He summoned a sword—Sora wondered, with some trepidation, if he'd ever obtained a Keyblade. "The worlds need us."_

 _"But so do I!" He shook his head. "Do you have any idea what I've been through? Do you know what it's like, being a Heartless? Like, like you're being eaten inside out, and you become_ nothing. _Just darkness. Just a mindless searcher. I wanted to find you guys. I wanted to find you, and that helped me make it. It helped keep me_ me. _" His voice turned accusatory. "You_ left _me."_

 _Kairi began, "We didn't have a choice—"_

 _"You're not leaving again!"_

 _The vision cut. Sora jerked, reaching a hand towards the fading figures, only to find smoke swirling through his fingertips._

 _A stained glass platform appeared beneath his feet. Anti-Sora sat on the edge, facing away._

 _Sora approached, footsteps ringing loudly. "What did you do to them?"_

 _"I made them Heartless."_

 _Sora stalled, the hair on his neck rising._

 _"The only thing that helped me keep some sense of self was the desperation to find them again. And when I did, well," he lifted a shoulder, "I would've done anything to keep from losing them again."_

 _"But you_ knew _what it was like being a Heartless."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _A tense silence followed. Anti Sora broke it with a sigh. "I don't understand you."_

 _Sora cocked his head._

 _"You have everything I ever wanted—friends who'd stay with me, who cared. But you push them away." He turned finally, golden eyes flashing._

 _All the old reasons were on his tongue, but he paused. They all died away under the harsh stare of this other "him." "I'm scared."_

 _"So was I. I guess we have that in common."_

 _Sora exhaled slowly. "Tell me something. When the Puppet Master brought you here, did you ever think of visiting Riku and Kairi?"_

 _"No. After everything that happened?" He shook his head._

 _Sora didn't respond for several moments. He took a few steps, and settled on the edge. "I'm sorry."_

 _"For what?"_

 _He didn't know how to respond, so he didn't._

 _His Heartless eventually sighed. "This was never going to work out, anyways. I made my choices."_

 _"Do you want to go back?"_

 _"No, but I don't have much choice. Time doesn't stop. Even if your friends don't finish me when I'm prone, that old woman will." He lowered his head, a few tears gathered in his eyes. "Well. What are you going to do?"_

 _Sora exhaled slowly. He lifted his hands, paused, then drew his other into an uncertain hug._

 _The Heartless didn't react._

Light flashed. Darkness scattered around him, and for a moment he thought the memory shattered between his fingertips. Then he realized only one hand was outstretched, and, as the darkness faded, he found himself in the grassy field.

"Sora!" Donald and Riku shouted almost simultaneously.

Goofy said, "Gawrsh, you had us worried there."

Donald squawked, "What are you doing, spacing out like that?"

Sora stared a few moments at his hand. He remembered the Keyblade leaving, if momentarily, and he closed his fist. He turned.

Rin still had her hand lifted. Donald and Goofy crowded him; Riku stood a short distance back, hesitant. Emi, Melody, and Rai clustered together. Aqua stood the furthest away, meeting his gaze with and unflinching stare.

He lowered his hand slowly. "We need to talk."

* * *

 _That's it for this chapter! Review responses:_

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _...Okay I am lost. Did Aqua's group end up in the future or something? And did the apprentice group really end up with Sora?_ – For the first: nope! I tried to explain it a little better in this chapter, but basically, where they ended up is the world's _actual_ time; where Sora and Shirou initially ended up, in the Realm of Sleep, was in a memory of an alternate past. For the second: Yep, they really found him.

 **OrionGold:** _Let me figure this out: Aqua, Riku, Donald, and Goofy landed on the Real Version of Shirous's world while Sora and Shirou ended up in the Realm of Sleep Version._ – Yep, that's basically it.

 **LilMate:** _All I want to see is Unlimited χ-Blade Works._ – As cool as that would be, it unfortunately won't be appearing in this story.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Crap. I haven't realize the old woman is Rin all along. I had suspected the jewel but at the moment I thought her as Rin's grandma. I wasn't expecting that. I wonder who else got kicked by Alaya. Is he Shadow Sora? it did mention about a heart that has sync with Sora's. –_ Haha, I kind of figured that the jewel would at least hint to some sort of revelation. As for the other individual, yep, Anti Sora was the other one kicked to the "Real" world.

 **ultima-owner:** _getting back to Shirou may be difficult._ – It's certainly not going to be easy for our Keybladers.

 **:** _I'm fairly sure sora can access two of his drives without them, one for certain._ – I wasn't really contesting that point with my review response from last chapter (which I'm assuming this was a response to?) I was more just responding in confusion about where the comment came from. I know I've talked about Drive Forms at some point, but I don't think I've mentioned them in the last few chapters? (Then again, I've also got a lot of stuff to work on, so I could just be forgetting.) Anyway, it was a more a "general confusion" response than anything.

 _If you have any questions or comments, leave them in a review!_


	89. Honest

_Here's chapter eighty – nine! Thank you SonicFan12, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Yolea Irk's, NeoDeus, ultima-owner, OrionGold, 60yulas, yesmanArcher1, and InfernalFox for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Eighty – Nine: Honest**

Where am I?

 _Shirou's eyes opened to water bubbling from his lips. He watched them a few moments, light filtering through the ripples._

 _His eyes closed again as he drifted lower. The light faded from behind his eyelids. He turned, slowly._

 _A glassy, murky floor reflected a warped picture. His fingers brushed the surface. The reflection didn't mirror the action, instead turning and talking to someone else. The black hair and red coat seemed familiar._

 _The glass fractured. His reflection split into the different sections. One version hurried to an armored figure. Another faced off against a man in red. Thousands of images appeared across the shattered pieces._

 _Shirou floated and stared. More bubbles appeared as he sighed._

 _Abruptly he fell, disappearing into darkness._

 _ **-A gruff**_ _man eyed him. "Careful, Shirou, or you'll fall."_

Where am I?

 _A woman—lines stretched taunt around her eyes, black hair tied neatly back—nudged the man. "Let the boy explore a little. That fall's not going to hurt him."_

 _He clung to a low tree branch. Whatever he'd been trying to do was forgotten and his eyes welled. "Mom? Dad?"_

 _He dropped, and ran to them, and hugged them, and suddenly he was a child, before the fire, and he heard his father screaming at him to run, his mother ushering him to the door while she ran back to try and free him. He'd watched their house burn, his parents still trapped, then fled._

 _He didn't remember any of it. Not really. But he felt, and he saw, and he knew the world remembered for him, in its own cold, detached way._

 _And now he ran again, blindly through flames that didn't burn across ground he didn't feel._

 _ **-"Steady**_ _your arm. Yeah, like that."_

 _Shirou held Vir a little straighter. He made a quick motion._

 _Sora parried, grinning. "Good!"_

 _Shirou panted, sweat still dripping from his forehead._

 _"Let's take a break."_

 _Shirou slumped, Vir dismissing._

 _Sora sat beside him, eyes gazing into the distance._

 _Shirou activated his magic. Sora's own reserves were trailing into the forest. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Hmm? Oh, practicing." The magic stopped. "I stayed her for a long time, when I was younger. Not a lot of people here, but there are plants and animals. I'm slowly testing my limits. Seeing how I feel about connecting greater amounts of hearts."_

 _Now his master looked confident. At peace. He wondered at how calm and brave Sora could be when working with something that had harmed him, but how terrified and evasive he could be with people who cared._

 _"Do you ever regret using the Keyblade?"_

 _Sora started. He seemed to consider the question, then shook his head. "It wasn't really what I thought I'd be doing with my life, but I've seen a lot of amazing places. Met a lot of people. There are things I'd never know, had I stayed on the island." He cast him a look. "How about you? Do you ever regret being chosen by the Keyblade? Leaving your home world?"_

 _He shook his head, but now he was older, and his response wasn't what it was back then. "I don't remember anything about my life on that world. The Keyblade chose me, and gave me more than I deserved. Friends. Family. A purpose."_

" _And now that you know what you are? About my mistakes?"_

 _"You were just trying to do what you thought was right. And so is Alaya."_

 _A smile crinkled Sora's eyes. "What do_ you _think is right?"_

 _He considered the question._

 _"You don't have to answer right away. It takes time to work things out."_

 _"What if I don't_ have _time?"_

 _Sora didn't answer, but he couldn't help feeling this was more real than any fire._

 _ **-Shirou**_ _sat on the stained glass of his Station of Awakening. He took a deep breath. The energy of his heart pressed around him. Chains hung, half-visible, in the air. He ran a hand through his hair. "What am I doing?"_

 _A sword materialized._

 _He narrowed his eyes._

You're path was chosen long ago.

 _He started._

You have always been a fighter. No weak heart could have walked through those flames and survived, however damaged.

 _"And if that heart isn't—isn't like others?"_

The Keyblade doesn't see that. A heart is a heart.

 _An image of Data Sora flickered briefly on the platform._

You have a choice to make. There is no right or wrong answer this time. Both have their faults, and their joys.

 _Two doors appeared._

 _Shirou remained sitting, expecting the voice to speak again. When it didn't he stood and slowly approached the doors. "So," he murmured, turning to one door, "I could go back to Alaya. I could let myself be destroyed. I could potentially save the world. Make up for not saving anyone in the past. And isn't that what Keybladers do? Save worlds?"_

 _He turned. "Or," he paused, "or I can try to fight, and go back to my friends and family. To my life."_

 _He remained there for several long moments. Vir flashed into his hand. He lifted it. "The Keyblade doesn't choose the weak of heart."_

You have always been a fighter.

 _He looked, long and hard, at the door that led to Alaya. Then he turned, slowly, and pushed open the other door._

 _ **-Shirou**_ _stood in the center of Fuyuki Church, the stained glass windows casting him in multi-colored light._

 _Kotomine stood near the alter, fingering his cross, a smirk on his lips. "What is it that you seek?"_

 _He took careful, slow strides. "To become a Keyblader, and all that entails, memory or not."_

 _Sora waited for him in the court yard. "What is most important to you?"_

 _He fingered the charm. "All of you." He lifted the charm. "And all the connections I've made along the way."_

 _"Shirou," Xion said._

 _He stopped, but didn't look._

 _"What would you do to reach your goals?"_

 _He turned, slowly. The words seemed heavier now, weighted with meaning he hadn't understood. He nearly choked, then forced a smile. "I guess I won't know until I get there."_

 _Xion gave him a soft smile back._

 _His fingers clenched around Vir. "Thank you." He activated his magic._

 **-Shirou** blinked. Around him flickered incorporeal images in a white, weaving plane.

Alaya's voice pressed into his mind. _What do you think you're doing, boy?_

"I've come to talk."

 _You have no right._

"I have more right than anyone." He searched for the voice's source and, failing to find it, simply continued. "I am a Keyblader. It's my job to protect the worlds and their inhabitants."

 _Are you truly going to risk the destruction of an entire world?_

"I have as much a right to exist as anyone." His voice lowered, and he glanced at Vir. "And there are parts of me that are real. How I've affected my friends and family—that's not going away, even if I do. Maybe I don't deserve the life I've been given. But I have it, and—and maybe all I've been through has given me a better understanding. Of everything."

A long silence followed. Alaya sighed, sounding bone-weary. _You think you do. But what happens when you are faced with the hardships of the worlds? When you realize that you cannot save everyone, and that some, even by accident, will be left astray?_

"And when did _you_ forget the power of a single heart?"

 _What?_

Shirou remained silent for several moments. Then he lifted Vir, slowly, and pointed it towards the ground, holding the hilt with both hands. The charm against his neck flickered and jerked.

"Hear me, Alaya, because I'll only say this once: I am Shirou. I was born from Hell and trained by one of the greatest Keybladers to ever live. I only have one form of magic. It's all I need."

The charm glowed. His magic touched hearts, familiar but distant.

 _What are you doing?_

"What Keybladers are supposed to do."

His magic activated and, all at once, he registered a multitude of emotions and weaknesses and strengths.

 _"We're saving a world."_

* * *

 _A bit of a shorter chapter here, but hey, now you get to watch_ Shirou _fight Alaya. Review responses:_

 **SonicFan12:** _Shouldn't it be impossible for Kairi to turn into a Heartless? She has no darkness in her heart._ – Normally, yes! Anti forced enough darkness into it for it to…kind of work. She was really unstable and ended up more-or-less self-destructing after a couple of weeks.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Oh... Ohhh! Now I understand why everything felt so strange in this fic! So basically Sora ACCIDENTALLY ended up in the Realm of Sleep version of the Nasuverse, and snatched Dream!Shirou out? And that the real Shirou is probably dead or a counter guardian? Also this kinda makes sense why Shirou is able to communicate with Xion..._ – Exactly! Real Shirou is officially a counter guardian. _And the Anti!Sora being from an alternate ruined timeline is kinda understandable (poor Sora...)_ – Yeah, he…did not have a good time in that alternate continuity.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Wait. If Sora's Shirou is actually come from the Realm of Sleep, where did he go at the moment now? I have no idea the difference between Realm of Sleep and Real World but does it mean Keybleader!Shirou can't come to Real World and stuck alone with no way out?_ – He could _technically_ come out, but at the moment, neither side of the world is likely to let him. The Realm of Sleep is, in KH cannon, the place that houses sleeping worlds—i.e. worlds that fell to darkness and have yet to recover. I've taken some liberties and used the Realm of Sleep as an analogy to alternate timelines—essentially, dreams or 'memories' of different possibilities that could have happened. Right now, Shirou's been sucked into the world's heart; he isn't going to be staying there long.

 **NeoDeus:** _The flashback from Sora's heartless is absolutely heartbreaking - at least he found some kind of resolution at the end. It's vaguely reminiscent of Aqua's journey through the realm of darkness, except Sora doesn't have way out, and doesn't have his friend's spirits around to help keep him going like Aqua did with Terra and Ventus's keyblades._ – Yeah. Anti-Sora's timeline is basically one of the worst for him, because he keeps getting hit with tragedy after tragedy. _I'm assuming this was from a timeline from when Sora became a heartless to save Kairi, but was never able to turn back into a human form? What happened to the worlds without Sora/Riku/Kairi? Did new keyblade wielders pop up as a result?_ – Yep! Basically, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy left a little too early for Sora to catch up, and things snowballed from there. The Keyblade actually went to Kairi after Sora fell. "Ansem" still opened Kingdom Hearts and was destroyed by it, but, with no one to close the door, Heartless began running rampant, leaving Kairi, Donald, and Goofy to try and pick up the pieces—the three actually save Riku, and, after learning about Mickey (and, by extension, Aqua) being stuck in the Realm of Darkness, they go after them. The four end up separated; the reunion is actually just after this. (The world's _do_ end up okay, however. Roxas still exists, just with a few more memories, and Xehanort's plans are stymied for a time due to how completely the Heartless overwhelm the worlds; the former teams up with Aqua, Mickey, and various others to eventually close the door and basically stop a complete apocalypse.)

 **ultima-owner:** _Did Sora make peace with his darkness?_ – Basically, yes.

 **OrionGold:** _You know, with the mention of multiple timelines, does that mean that somewhere there's a Sora who's still happy-go-lucky and Ven, Terra, Xion, and Namine were able to come back?_ – Yep! There's a timeline where everyone's happy, which is…nice to think about.

 **60yulas:** _Shirou Emiya even without Rin's boost in Unlimited Blade Works had no trouble reacting to a lot of Gilgamesh's swords. Shouldn't Sora who is far faster than normal human Shirou be able to react to Gilgamesh's swords as well._ – He's not exactly at the best mental place at that point in time.

 **yesmanArcher1:** _Not really getting how Archer is blitzing Sora. Really doesn't make sense to me. Considering all of Sora's incredible speed feats._ – To be fair, neither were going entirely full-force.

 **InfernalFox:** _I think i'm starting to get it. Even if I don't play FSN. Poor Anti. Guy needs more Kairi hugs_ – He really does.

 _If you have any thoughts or comments, please leave them in a review!_


	90. Dearly Beloved

_Here's chapter ninety! Thank you DPSS, Yolea Irk's, ultima-owner, OrionGold, and Mangahero18 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety: Dearly Beloved**

Vir plunged.

Light shrouded Shirou before his blade could make contact. He squinted, grimacing, gripping Vir tighter. The light almost burned. His feet skidded, then gave way. He tumbled through the air several moments.

He tried to catch himself. He held his connection true several moments. _I have to connect to her heart._

Shadowy figures flickered about the edges of his vision.

He narrowed his eyes. _What are—?_

His concentration broke. The strange force pushed him away.

He cast his magic outward. It touched a heart pulsing nearby, briefly appearing in a colored flash. He reached. _Help me._

A hand jerked towards his.

The world shifted and whirled. He hit the ground, hard, and bounced, then rolled, finally stopping in a course dirt pile. Mud and grass stained his hands and clothes.

"A-are you alright?" the other red-haired boy stammered, approaching him.

Shirou groaned, pushing himself up.

Shadows moved behind the boy.

"Look out!" Shirou stood, his magic forcing urgency into the boy's heart, Vir transforming into a bow. Several energy shots blurred.

The figure, vaguely dragon-like, arched, arrows imbedded in its chest. It screamed, wings flaring, while red-eyed figures poured from beneath it.

Shirou leapt backwards, firing shot after shot, blue-white arrows slowing and downing several targets.

He activated his heart magic, touching each of the creature's hearts. He forced his will back across the link. _Stop!_

The Dream Eaters stalled.

Shirou brushed the good luck charm. A heart, distant but familiar, seemed to touch his consciousness.

 _Let them come to you. Set up your traps and wait._

Shirou sprinted for a tree. He caught a low-hanging branch, dragging himself into position, bark scraping his palms.

The Dream Eaters recovered. They charged, some bounding across the grass, others fluttering awkwardly through the air.

Shirou lifted his bow and fired, arrows concentrated into an area just ahead of the Dream Eaters. The earth trembled.

A few Dream Eaters made it safely across. He fired several more shots. A large, lion-like Dream Eater stepped on the section.

The ground gave way. The lion fell, roaring. Several other Dream Eaters fell after it. The others skidded to uncertain halts.

Two bat-like Dream Eaters fluttered near his head. He caught one. The creature squeaked, fluttering away. Shirou's fingers tightened into the fur. His legs swung, and he dipped low. The bat flailed under the added weight.

Shirou kicked, trying to steady himself, then took a deep breath and swung, the pendulum sending him flying towards the mob. Vir re-transformed. He swung, Keyblade colliding with a lion.

The ground opened into white space beneath him. He tumbled. The opening closed.

 _What do you believe this will accomplish, Keybearer? You cannot combat a world._

Shirou stretched a hand, magic futilely grasping for another heart. His magic brushed off several, sliding away.

One flashed. Something like a chain streaked, and he caught the invisible link, dragging himself into the memory.

He tumbled through a sandy desert. Hands caught and steadied him. "Careful." Gray eyes examined him, a frown creasing the man's face. "Where did _you_ come from?"

The ground shook beneath them.

The man tugged Shirou aside, and the two sprawled through sand.

A gigantic worm reared above, parts rotating wildly. Sand flurried. Shirou's eyes snapped closed, burning.

The charm thudded his neck. Another heart reached for his.

 _Use your magic! It'll protect you, even in difficult times._

Shirou kept his eyes closed. Magic flashed. A large heart glowed, streaking towards him. A smaller heart, almost familiar, tracked along its side.

Shirou gripped Vir tightly and held his ground.

The large heart neared. Hot breathe washed over him.

He rolled aside, returning to his feet amidst a sandy spray. Vir arced upwards. Flesh resisted and tore. The worm screamed. The heart writhed in agony.

The smaller heart approached. Something whistled past Shirou's ear, thudding dully.

Shirou turned. His feet sank. His legs wobbled. He tried to right himself, then fell, sand engulfing his legs, his waist. He choked, swallowing a mouthful. Rough hands caught his, then passed through.

He fell. The choking sensation abated slowly. He gasped, his chest heavy.

 _You cannot jump memories forever. It is only a matter of time before your magic runs out._

Blurry shapes flickered through the white. _Focus._ He extended a hand, fingers haloed by a blurry cityscape. _Focus._

A heart reached for his. He jerked to a halt, then flew forward.

He collided with several trashcans. They clattered against the walls, garbage bags snapping open. Shirou hit the brick and stumbled, pushing himself away.

He staggered into the street, panting. Vaguely he sensed Dream Eaters, lurking in the shadows. Night settled over the city; few people walked about, the sidewalks lit by streetlamps.

He took a deep breath and spread his magic as far as he could reach.

His heart found the one that had brought him here. An Illya's. And Saber's. And Rin's.

He sprinted in their direction. Air caught his shirt. Claws skid across the street. He didn't look back, pushing harder, feet thudding and breath panting. He twisted a corner, catching a pole and swinging. The Dream Eaters skidded across the street, trying to stall their rush.

He leapt a wall and ran into a forest, weaving through dense underbrush. Branches slapped his face. Thorns tugged his legs. He pushed them aside. _You can't out-muscle Alaya. You don't even know where to start. You need to purge her darkness._

 _I don't even know where to start._

 _Start by finding the source. Maybe one of the others will know what to do._

The brushed crashed.

 _Okay. Start by getting rid of the Dream Eaters._

Saber's heart fought another just ahead. Shirou leapt into the open, skidding down a hill between gravestones. He turned.

A deformed, wolf-like creature launched after him.

A giant stone slab beat it aside. Darkness spiraled skyward. A giant beast of a man roared, brandishing the stone.

Saber's voice rang, surprised, behind him. "Shirou? What are you doing out here? Get back!" She stalled. "Where did you get that weapon?"

Shirou stared a few moments.

A howl drew his attention. The wolves poured from the shadows, curling into the graveyard like mist.

The wind around Saber's invisible sword stirred. "What manner of creatures have you angered?"

"You don't want to know."

A fiery heart blazed against his. _Face them head-on. Trust in your Keyblade._

Shirou gripped Vir, released a war cry, and charged.

A wolf leapt, fangs parted.

He ducked beneath, catching the creature's inner mouth with Vir's teeth. He tugged, using the Dream Eater's momentum to send it into the dirt.

Saber slid forward, striking the beast's mouth.

Shirou spun around again, taking position. His feet slid smoothly, leading him into a long, lunging swipe. He recovered forward and side-stepped, delivering two quick blows to a snarling wolf's side. It turned, fangs bared, only for Saber to take position beside him, beating the creature back with a series of blows. She caught another's teeth on her armor, then hacked its neck.

Shirou dodged between grave stones. He weaved a circle around one; a wolf leapt over, and he stabbed, impaling the creature. A second emerged from the wispy darkness left behind; Shirou released Vir, ducked, and re-summoned the blade, spinning. The wolf corrected itself, and the two charged.

Light flared around Shirou. He floated for a few moments, blinded.

 _Why don't you just destroy me, Alaya? I'm a part of you. You can keep me locked in your heart. Take me from your memories._

If Alaya had a response, she didn't give it, leaving Shirou to float.

 _Find the source of deepest darkness._

Corruption poured from a memory. He shied away.

 _I can't go back._

A small heart flickered inside, offering the same words.

His charm glowed.

He gripped it. He took a shaking breath and reached.

There was no spinning sensation this time. No rough landing. Instead he found himself standing in hell, watching a smaller version of himself slog tiredly through the wreckage.

He didn't move for several moments. Heat soaked his shoes. He shook his head slowly, then pinned his gaze to the back of the stumbling child.

The younger him fell. He watched, unmoving, for an uncountable length of time.

Then Kiritsugu appeared amidst the fear, sobbing with relief, grasping the child's hand.

 _I see. That me, and that him. We saved each other this day._

He glanced at his blade, and remembered Sora dragging him from the fire. His magic flared. Light streaked from him to the world's heart. It touched the boy's, and the man's; it revealed the one's gratitude, relief, joy, almost overwhelming, and the other's exhaustion and strange jealousy. He forced the link to hold, feeling as if he stared the world in the eye. _Isn't that worth something?_

The world warped and collapsed on itself. For a moment heat engulfed Shirou, stealing his breath. His heart stuttered and stalled.

Cool stone rubbed his arms. He gasped, scrambling upright.

He didn't recognize the dark, hardly-lit stone cavern, but he almost recognized the sensation. He wondered, briefly, if he'd returned to his home memory.

Figures, cloaked in darkness, moved through the shadows.

Shirou lifted his head slowly. He propped Vir. Magic, like fingers, brushed the unfamiliar hearts. A barrier blocked them. No emotions, no memories slipped through; mist deflected his reach.

Shirou's eyes flickered across the dark room. He took a deep breath and touched his charm.

A few small hearts glimmered, far away. From them small, glowing connections reached to other hearts, across his world, across others.

He stood. A faint, glimmering connection tethered him to the world. Tentatively a heart reached out, offering empathy, concern and fear, trying to soothe a world still reeling from old wounds. "We know how you feel," Shirou murmured, his voice distant. "We've struggled with darkness, too.

"Emi lost her world to it. Nearly lost herself. We've seen how much damage it can cause."

A figure sprang. Shirou lifted Vir and parried two quick strikes. The man disappeared again.

 _You know nothing, Keybearer. Have you fought alone, trying to preserve both yourself and your people? To protect yourself against an evil wrought entirely by the selfishness of those sworn to protect?_

Another heart offered a steel will and perhaps a deeper, more intimate understanding—and an anger born from it. "We know more than you believe!"

Another figure emerged. Shirou parried two strikes from the long sword, pressing down. "Aqua walked the Realm of Darkness for over a decade." His blade ran the length of his opponent's. His enemy jerked high, deflecting him, and stabbed. Shirou tilted his head. "She lived with darkness and doubts corroding her thoughts every waking moment. With Heartless lurking around her. She saw, first hand, the end results of those worlds."

Footsteps sounded behind. He leaned, letting the spear sail overhead, towards his first opponent. The spear swept, nearly knocking him to the ground; he rolled and returned to his feet, sending dirt spraying towards his opponent's eyes.

A sorrowful heart replaced the strength—a man who'd long struggled with darkness, and who, even now, couldn't entirely shake the guilt of his past. "It isn't always obvious, either. It's easy to be led astray. We know that."

Bullet spray riddled the ground. Shirou took shelter behind a rock. Fragments sprayed his face.

 _Listen, boy._ She sounded tired. _What you do is futile. Humans are so very susceptible to corruption._

The spearman loomed. Shirou blocked, hands shaking while he braced Vir.

 _Great lights cast long shadows. The first Keybearers sought to protect Kingdom Heart's light. Instead it laid them in shadow. It produced greed. The Keybearers believed they could use the light themselves, instead of simply protecting it._

Shirou kicked. The spearman leapt to avoid the attack. He stood, and nearly ran headlong into the swordsman. He ducked and tackled the man, inadvertently taking both out of the gunman's sightline. They skidded, kicking up dirt. Shirou returned to his feet quickly, transforming Vir and firing.

 _They lost the Great Key for their arrogance. The last Master tried to replicate it. Those who followed tried to reclaim it. All they succeeded in doing was breeding more greed. More anger. More sorrow._

The man parried the blows, sending the arrows flying in all directions, blue-white streaks in the darkness.

A heart flashed on Shirou's radar, giving him just enough warning to dodge. A dagger appeared where his chest would have been. He fired blindly into the darkness, creating a large arc.

 _Darkness was born not of humans, but of Kingdom Hearts. So long as the Great Light exists, so too will darkness thrive in all hearts. Whether jealousy, desire, wrath—it does not matter. The two have always been at war._

A figure dropped from overhead. Shirou rolled, returning to a crouch and firing, then returning Vir.

The spear emerged from the darkness. Shirou slid beneath it, bringing Vir to slash his opponent's midsection. The man turned, swiping the spear overhead. Shirou attempted to parry, but underestimated the power behind the swing; he flew into the waiting swordsman's path, and was forced to make two quick parries. A woman struck, fists flying, and Shirou dodged, backpedaling.

 _Keybearers believe they are grand heroes, fighting to keep the darkness at bay. Those in your time probably believe this to be true. Those in the past simply repeated those lines to ease their guilt. Some wished to atone for the darkness they bred. They tried to fight the monsters they knew followed their blades._

A sword cut his side. Vir flicked down, protecting his waist. He slammed his head backwards, hitting someone's chin, then ducked. The woman's punch collided with another's nose.

Shirou skidded aside, Vir dragging a trail through the dirt. The two warriors turned to face him.

 _Even so, mortals are limited. In the end we are both doing the same thing. We are fighting for our survival, in a war that never ends. No matter the individual, there are only so many you can safeguard._

A volley of shots rained overhead. Shirou sprinted towards his two opponents amidst a spray of rock and dirt. He feinted, then dodged, aside, slipping behind the swordswoman. The spearman appeared, and he skidded aside, transforming Vir and firing in a smooth motion. Each shot launched themselves skyward, dislodging rocks around the cavern. The world shook.

 _And you, Keybearer—you know your truth. Your blade attracts darkness. You yourself are a direct connection to our heart. No matter where you go, darkness will plague you, threatening both those you love and the world that birthed you. You truly want to save the world? Perhaps it is you who brought the corruption._

He stalled, fingers still taunt on the bowstring, for a moment his resolve faltering.

A heart—warm, familiar—touched his. _It's okay. I'm with you. Always._

His breathing steadied. "You're right." He sighted down his shaft. "There's nothing I can do about that. The light will always attract the darkness. But," he fired, a blue streak aiming towards the cavern's center, "if the light disappeared, what then? If no one fought, what would become of us?"

The arrow lodged in the cracks. Part of the ceiling crumbled, creating a barricade between him and his enemies. He pressed against the wall, keeping his bow skyward.

"You believe I should've never obtained the Keyblade. Maybe that's true. Maybe I have no right to be here, right now."

The spearman appeared first, launching his weapon from the sky. Shirou dodged, firing several shots. The man fell through them as if he didn't feel them, landing and easily regaining his weapon.

Vir returned to sword form. Shirou stepped to intercept a spear swipe. "But it doesn't matter. _The Keyblade chose me._ " He disengaged, ducked, and lunged. The spearman swept a low parry, spear tip screeching against rock. "Maybe I wasn't saved for a reason. Maybe the only reason was because some passing stranger found the only one he could. Maybe I didn't deserve it."

Gunshots scattered rubble. The two hardly flinched, the spearman making several quick stabs. Shirou tried to parry. One made it through his guard, piercing his shoulder.

He bit back the pain. "But I'm going to make the most of it!" He gripped the spear, attempting to wrench it free. His hands shook.

His opponent pressed harder.

Shirou allowed the momentum to take him instead, falling backwards, tearing free from the tip. He returned to his feet and sprinted towards his enemy, cutting upwards, then dodging away from a swing.

The others had made it to the top of his barricade.

"Both my master and I are broken, but we helped each other. We understood. Perhaps we both saved each other. You can't tell me that means nothing!"

 _And you believe this is justification for continuing to exist?_

Shirou backpedaled, Vir becoming a bow again. He fired a barrage, hoping to keep his rapidly-advancing foes at bay a little longer. "I believe I'm not going to waste the chance I've been given."

 _You would sacrifice an entire world for the sake of one?_

"No. But I'm not going to ignore them, either."

 _So you would try to prevent all suffering. Perhaps you are more like your counterpart than I thought._

He shook his head slowly. "You can't save everyone. There's always someone you'll miss. So you do what you can. You fight."

The figures approached him. He wasn't sure if it was the darkness, or his imagination, but it seemed there were more of them, now, lurking in the shadows.

His hands shook around Vir's hilt. He tilted it towards the floor, holding the grip with both hands. "You fight." His voice broke. Vir fell.

At once his heart magic flared outwards, reaching desperately for those hearts he knew. Emi, Melody, Rai, Aqua, Riku. Rin, Kiritsugu, Illya. Sora. Small points of light illuminated, flickering small at first, then growing brighter, each point creating connections upon connections.

Vir speared the ground. Shirou knelt, overwhelmed by the sudden cacophony of sound and emotions and flashing images.

Pain wracked his body. His back arched. His mind blanked. Pain shot vaguely through his back and shoulders, as if coming from a distance.

His heart thundered and writhed. It pulsed; his chest cracked. Shirou coughed.

 _You've got this!_

 _We're with you._

The ground blurred. He stretched a hand towards it, fingers slowly uncurling. Glowing cracks stretched between his knuckles and towards his wrists.

 _You can't keep this up. You don't have the magic._

He couldn't feel his hand brushed the ground. A few small drops of glowing blood dropped beside the blurred edges of Vir's blade. Shadows moved over it and writhed between his glowing, crystalline hand.

Some part of him sensed clutching Vir a little tighter. He could no longer feel the grip.

He reached for Alaya's heart.

The world pulsed. The world around him disappeared, and he half-saw a long, glowing line, tenuous and weak, weaving through the world's layers until it found a slow, beating sphere, seemingly fractured. Darkness weaved around the light, and a deep-set, lingering bitterness and desperation held the fragile heart like glue.

His back arched. His shaking hand curled. He felt more than heard the spell: _"Purge."_

His spell wasn't like Sora's. He had no light magic of his own to draw upon. He couldn't drag the corruption free of an individual, let alone a world.

But he had a thousand hearts filled with light he could borrow from.

The link opened wide, flooding the connection with all the feelings and memories, the light and darkness, of each heart.

 _Lend me your light!_

One by one each heart responded, slowly reeling in their worries, their fears. For a moment there was general confusion.

Then it seemed one reached back. The darkness ebbed away, replaced by light. Another followed, and another.

The world shuddered. The heart struggled and shook beneath the onslaught.

 _Hear us._ Shirou nearly fell. _Please, hear us!_

Alaya reeled.

His hand slipped from Vir's hilt. He collapsed. The magic snapped, spent.

He lay there, staring at his glowing, slowly-crystalizing hand.

He thought of Emi, and Melody, and Rai, and of training and joking and exploring worlds together. He wondered if they still thought he was exploring a new world.

He thought of Kiritsugu and Illya and Rin, and the trials they'd faced here, and wondered if they'd ever reach the end of their Holy Grail War.

He thought of Sora. Of training. Of traveling. Of the family he'd found, and if it was really worth giving that up, to try and save a world he didn't even know could be reached. He decided he had to believe it.

Water splashed the ground. He choked on a sob. The light grew brighter.

 _I'm sorry. I don't know if—I couldn't. I'm sorry._

A voice—vaguely familiar, female, he knew he should know it—whispered, _It's okay. You did great. Rest now. It's alright._

The light flared brighter, until he could no longer see. Something like glass seemed to shatter.

 _He thought of the Land of Departure, and everyone standing there, waiting to greet them._

 _He thought of home._

* * *

 _Review responses:_

 **DPSS:** _Fuck Yeah! Go Shirou! Do what EMIYA always wanted to do and show Alaya who's boss!_ – Hey, he definitely managed to do _something._ It's going to set some dramatic things off…

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Sweet! UBW!Shirou is badass but I like this Shirou more. His emotions are more humane in a way than UWB!Shirou. Feels like this one is having a stronger heart (then again, all Keybladers tend to do so)._ – I'm glad this version of Shirou feels so strong! I definitely wanted to make sure he had the resolve and strength of character to face his own demons, so I'm glad he comes across that way!

 **ultima-owner:** _alaya forgot that a forest is made of many trees that are different from each other in many small ways_ – Yeah. Ironically, she still tries to _use_ people…just not in quite as effectively.

 **OrionGold:** _It looks like we'll finally be able to Alaya get her karma. Also, will we still be able to see Kiritsugu, Illya, Rin, Sakura, Saber, and Archer of the Dream! Nasuverse? There's still the Holy Grail War Sora and Shirou still have to deal with._ – Alaya's definitely reeling right now; Shirou shook her up pretty well. As for the others…well, like you said, the Holy Grail War's not over. We still have a couple more problems they need to deal with.

 **Mangahero18:** _Sora, like most classic heroes, is both the impetus and solution to most of his own problems. Its not necessarily that he causes the problems...just that they happen BECAUSE of him._ – Haha, that's a pretty good way to describe it. _I always assumed that either all the worlds in Kingdom Hearts spoke the same language because they were originally the same world. Or that Donald used his magic._ – They might, in canon. For Damocles, however, the worlds have been separate long enough for many to develop different languages. (Also, Donald _does_ use a translation spell for both him and Goofy, since they lack Keyblades.)

… _So. We're at the downhill stretch. Time to see how the Holy Grail War comes to a head._


	91. Those Who Fell

_Here's chapter ninety – one! Thank you ultima-owner, a guest, Yolea Irk's, Kiri Kaitou Clover, reality deviant, and .31 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety – One: Those Who Fell**

Sora stood staring at Shirou's grave. The others still conversed inside Rin's hut, going over possible ways to return to the Realm of Sleep. His fingers flitted over his heart, magic casting in small slivers around him.

Footsteps approached. "You felt it, too?"

"Of course. He's trying to reach us. Something's wrong."

Aqua stopped just beside him. "I can't promise we can save him from this."

"I know." His fingers curled into his shirt. "But I need to make sure he's okay. Even if he can't come back with us."

Aqua's gaze softened. She stood beside him silently a few moments. The wind waved the flowers and grass.

"Hey," Riku called. "We're ready to try."

Aqua rested a hand on Sora's shoulder.

He turned and joined the others.

The group stood in a loose circle. Rin lifted her hand, jewels glowing between her fingertips. "Right. You have the power to enter this 'Realm' under normal circumstances?"

Aqua and Riku nodded.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Technically. Just never really done it intentionally."

Rin snorted. "The plan basically boils down to brute-forcing our way through the barrier. You three open the gateway. The rest of us will lend our power. Alright?"

They nodded.

Donald summoned his staff. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Goofy added, "Let's go save Shirou!"

Sora flashed them a small, honest smile. The Kingdom Key appeared, and his expression turned serious. He, Aqua, and Riku lifted their blades, light glowing at their tips. Something resembling a keyhole etched into the grass.

Rin's eyes widened fractionally. She shook her head. The gems melted, dripping into the keyhole, creating an eerie glow.

Melody and Rai gripped hands, their Keyblades glowing.

Emi gripped her blade tightly with both hands, ghostly pale and shaking.

Sora took a deep breath and activated his magic. Light shot from his blade into the keyhole, his heart magic streaking deeper, towards the world's heart. Magic from Aqua and Riku's, then Emi's and Melody's and Rai's blades followed.

The world squirmed. For a moment it resisted, then shook. Something shattered.

No voice protested. No fight pushed against the magic. _Something's wrong._

Light flared around them. Sora lifted his head, meeting Rin's steady gaze a few moments. Then the world spiraled, color and sensation blurring. They dropped.

 _Hang on just a little longer. We're coming._

 **-When** the light faded, Rin stood alone. She huffed, glancing about. "Hopefully they find what they're looking for." She took a few steps towards the grave. "What would _you_ have thought of all this, I wonder? Would it have been better to take _you_ from this world?"

The wind stirred, but she received no answer.

She shook her head. "Well, if this version is anything like _you_ were, I'm sure he's given the world one hell of a time." She sat, grass soft underneath her hands, and watched the distant sky.

 **-Sora** dropped into chaos. Dream Eaters raged through the streets, some flooding buildings, others prowling the shadows. People screamed.

Aqua asked, "Was this how you left it?"

He shook his head.

A lance speared a Dream Eater, flashing red. "Hey!" Lancer called, landing beside his weapon. "About time you showed up. Who're your friends?"

Sora asked, "Where did they come from?"

"Don't know. They just kind of showed up. Thought it might be a trick of the witch's, but." He nodded towards a figure in the distance, shooting multi-colored blasts at the roaming creatures.

Bazett appeared, sliding into a punch. A few shots fired from a distance, Kiritsugu carefully hidden.

Riku stepped beside him, Keyblade materializing. "Better not just stand around." He charged.

Donald summoned his staff, releasing a battle cry, Goofy lifting his shield and barreling after them.

Sora scanned the throng.

Something moved. A blast shot by his cheek and exploded a Dream Eater.

Rin stood a few feet away, expression dark, hand lifted and braced.

Sora blinked, for a moment disoriented. "Where's Shirou? Have you seen him?"

She shook her head. "He knows what he's doing. He can take care of himself."

 _Not if he's dealing with something worse._ His eyes flicked to the Dream Eaters. _Something's wrong here. There weren't this many before._

"Sora."

Aqua watched him a few paces away.

"I know. The world comes first—"

"Go."

He blinked.

"We'll keep things under control. Find Shirou." She gave him a faint smile.

Sora flashed her a crooked, relieved smile. He moved past her, Kingdom Key flashing into his hands.

A couple Prickle Manes bounced towards him. His Keyblade flared with light. He slid, cutting through the Dream Eaters, the momentum carrying him to the corner. He regained his footing, darkness spiraling around him, and sprinted down the alleyways. _I last knew he was at the temple._ His fingers tightened around his blade. _Which means I have to make it past Archer, somehow._ A nerve-wracking thought entered his mind. _What if Alaya sent Archer after him?_

A ghostly Aura Lion charged him from the shadows. He leapt aside, clinging a pole a swinging, haloed by purple light. He released, slashing the large Dream Eater, then sweeping into a quick two-strike combo. The Aura Lion hit a wall, dazed, and he raced past.

Darkness writhed around him, burning like flames. Buildings shook, Dream Eaters clinging to the sides. People screamed, racing from Dream Eaters, some not yet aware of the danger that lurked. His own panic made his chest clench, and for a moment he stumbled, a Dream Eater clinging to his back.

 _"Get off."_

He ducked into a roll, shaking the Dream Eater free, and screamed, "Blizzaga!"

The Dream Eater froze, ice spilling across the street.

Sora remained there a few moments, staring at the chaos, a faint glow indicating the coming sunrise. A few people cowered beneath an Aura Lion.

He cast a furtive look towards the temple, then turned and stabbed the Dream Eater. "Purge!"

The lion yowled.

Sora tugged, his light creating a chain to hold the creature. He gritted his teeth and braced his footing.

The civilians stared.

 _"Go!"_

They scrambled away.

Sora took a few staggering steps backwards, darkness trailing towards his Keyblade while the Aura Lion struggled. His knuckles whitened around the hilt. He jerked his blade. The light strained and snapped.

The Dream Eater faded.

Another nearly bowled him over; a Ryu Dragon clung to his shoulder. "Aeroga!" The wind whipped around him, tugging the creatures free. They spiraled skyward. "Firaga!" The fireball collided with the dragon, sending it colliding with a small group of flying Dream Eaters Sora didn't recognize. He leapt, kicking off the wall, and swung, catching one of the flying Dream Eaters and swinging off it to bash another. He twisted midair and spun around a pole, the strike carrying him into an opponent prowling the streets. The momentum kept him spinning, and he released a wide, powerful ring of light that ripped through the Dream Eaters nearby.

A few stunned civilians watched.

Sora stood straighter and pointed with his Keyblade. "Go that way. There are people who will help you. Tell anyone you can, and _stay together._ "

They raced off, some pushed by their companions, others leading the charge. One helped an injured friend.

Sora watched them go, keeping an eye out for Dream Eaters. Then he turned his feet, racing full-speed towards the temple.

The rising sun sent harsh red light and bleak shadows across the temple steps. "Shirou!" Sora stumbled to a halt. Nothing moved. His eyes flicked; no birds, no Dream Eaters, no people. He activated his heart magic. Only a single heart flickered in the temple, buried deeply in darkness.

Sora ran up the steps.

Light glinted off steel. A faint heart flashing into existence and battle-honed instincts were his only warning. He pushed backwards.

Red and black flashed. Swords crashed into the stone and sent splinters flying.

Sora skidded and caught himself, lifting the Kingdom Key defensively. "Archer."

The Servant straightened and watched.

"You have to let me through."

He didn't respond.

Sora searched his gaze several moments, and realized, unnervingly, that he couldn't read him. He took a step. "Please. I'm not your enemy!"

Archer's eyelids fell slightly. Then he exchanged his swords for a bow. The string drew taunt, arrow waiting.

"Aeroga!"

Wind whipped around him as the arrow fired, deflecting it. He sprang from the vortex, feet haloed in purple, and kicked against the trees, dodging around Archer.

The Servant intercepted him, swords returning.

Sora fell abruptly, Kingdom Key lifted to block. Archer's overhead strike unbalanced him. His stance shifted, and he backed down the steps, weapon flying to block his vitals in rapid succession as Archer struck a flurry of blows. One left a deep cut on his cheek; another cut through his coat and shirt. He parried wide, blade a blur, and almost immediately activated a shotlock.

Archer's sword came dangerously close to his abdomen before the protection kicked in. He leapt, quiet clicking ringing through his head, rings flashing, and fired.

The shots ranged wide, striking the trees around the Servant and the path above.

Archer eyed then skeptically a few moments before realization seemed to dawn. He leapt aside.

The trees shook and toppled. The ground crumbled.

Sora landed amidst it. Magic haloed his feet. He jumped across broken stone and swung from the branch of a falling tree. "Blizzaga!" Ice cover the steps ahead. He landed, his magic carrying him on an upward slide towards the temple entrance.

Arrows shattered his ice and sent splinters into his face. He turned, transforming his Keyblade and firing blindly.

The Servant emerged from the frozen fragments.

"Salvation!"

Light haloed Sora and he watched, eyes wide, as Archer's swords fell. One cut deeply into his shoulder. The other struck his side. Pain flared through his chest and waist, cold at first then burning. He gasped, blood spattering the steps.

The magic activated. Green healing light shrouded him. His wounds burned fiercer, knitting themselves together.

Archer moved to flee.

The light caught him, sending him flying.

Sora gasped and clutched his waist, shaking amidst the glowing barrier. He transformed the Kingdom Key and fired a barrage after the light faded, showering the forest with broken stone. He stood a few moments, panting, then turned and half-stumbled, half-ran to the entrance, his waist and shoulder still throbbing, despite his magic.

The temple, unlike the remainder of the town, remained intact. Sora's heart magic pulsed, sending a silent link to the only heart still pounding inside. Sora took a deep breath and followed, shambling across the courtyard.

The temple was eerily silent. Dust filled the air. He coughed, then rubbed his eyes. He slowly released his waist, spinning the Kingdom Key with one hand and edging further into the building. The floorboards creaked as he passed rooms, their occupants gone, some doors thrown wide, others still tightly closed. An ominous darkness dragged him further. He wasn't sure yet if he wanted it to be Shirou or not.

 _Maybe he escaped. Maybe we helped him. Maybe he just hasn't rejoined the others yet._

He neared a large door. As the heart beat, leading him closer, he realized abruptly that Shirou wasn't the only one who'd be in the temple. _Sakura fled here._

The floorboards creaked loudly. He paused.

The area just ahead of him had caved, the wood splintered and half-hidden in shadow, earth gouged free.

The wood cracked.

Sora tumbled. He spun a few moments, his arm slamming a wall. He dug his Keyblade in; it broke free, and he instead resorted to magic, fingertips dragging through dirt and clipping stone. He landed roughly and fell, blood dripping from beneath his fingernails.

His heart tugged.

 _This place is familiar._

Darkness weaved through the cavern. It lifted the hairs on his neck. Sweat stuck to his clothes. "Shirou!" He hurried further into the cavern. "Shirou, are you here?"

Something seemed to whisper.

"Shirou?" His foot caught something. He fell, hands scuffing the hard ground. The Kingdom Key clattered somewhere out of reach.

He stretched a hand behind him, searching blindly. His fingers traced cool metal. A sword-like tip pricked his fingers.

He scrambled and dragged the item closer. Dull metal scratched his bruised hands. The keychain clattered, broken, to the floor. Vir remained, unchanging, in his lap.

He stared a few moments. "Shirou," he whispered, then lifted his head, crying louder, "Shirou! Where are you? Shirou!" His voice pitched high and broke. He stood, clutching Vir more like a toy than a weapon, stumbling through rubble. "Shirou!" He nearly ran into a rock. "Just _say something._ Anything. Please." His energy waned. "Answer me."

The cavern yawned silently back. His magic detected no heart.

He fell, Vir's tip plunging into the ground, and screamed.

* * *

 _So who remembers that trip to the Keyblade Graveyard? About how a Keyblade stays after a wielder dies? …Yeah. This event has actually been a long time in coming. Shirou was always meant to face Alaya and, in a way, come out victorious—but he was also facing a world willing to do whatever it took to kill him. I wanted to make his sacrifice epic and meaningful, but didn't want to pretend there wouldn't be consequences to it. That led to this—the battle against Alaya, and Sora's heartbroken discovery. This actually serves another purpose for Sora—one I'm figuring people can guess, but will be dealt with more in the coming chapters._

 _Review responses:_

 **ultima-owner:** _I think he got her to listen to reason in a very climatic way_ – Yep! But there are a lot of issues still to solve…

 **Guest:** _So is Sakura going to be saved or not?_ – Patience. We're not to the end just yet.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _The thrill is amazing and we have the very literal of thousands small kindness will make a world brighter. I loved it so much. Btw, is the woman in the last is Justeaze or Gaia?_ – Thanks! I figured no one has the power to beat a world on their own; with _help_ , on the other hand… As for the voice at the end, that was actually Xion's.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Oh my bloody flying fuck what the HELL SHIROU! This chapter gave me a heart attack since it is Shirou vs Alaya and Shirou comes out on top as well as showing us how different he really is to the original Shirou. I love how it show cases his emotional growth over his journey and how, similar to Sora, his power comes from the ones around him, and not just his own. It is beautiful and I love it so much!_ – That was one of the goals! I really wanted this to cap Shirou's character development and show just how worthy he was to wield the Keyblade—even if Alaya never thought so. _(I do wonder how this change will affect the real Shirou though...)_ – You'll see~

 **reality deviant:** _good chapter. but Allaya is integral for humanity, without it Gaia will prevail, and the victory over darkness will be phyrhic, unless all the humans will be kicked from that world into another one-has a world sent its humans into exile elsewhere for the keybladers to deal with?_ – To be fair, Alaya's not _gone_ …though you're right that there're still a lot of consequences to deal with. _And the issue with Archer is far from over. I think Sora didn't, can't, come to terms with Archer. and i hope for a resolution that will force him to grow and acknowledge the more grey mindset of the man who would have been shirou._ – _That's_ coming up pretty soon.

 **.31:** _Can you reader or author tell me whether Shirou have UBW or not?_ – Answered in a PM, to make sure you saw! (Didn't know if you'd check the last chapter or not, considering you review on chapter four…)

 _The countdown to the end begins._


	92. Nightmare

_Here's chapter ninety – two! Thank you reality deviant, Yolea Irk's, ultima-owner, DPSS, and InfernalFox for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety – Two: Nightmare**

Aqua stood uncertainly in the house's living room. The rest of their party—plus the allies Sora and Shirou had apparently attained—crowded the area. They were missing a few; one of their allies, Rider, had apparently disappeared before the fight even started, and Sora and Shirou had yet to make a reappearance.

Lancer kept his spear pointed at a woman named Caster, near the back. Bazett stood beside him. Kiritsugu sat on the couch, Illya close by; Donald, Goofy, and Melody sat in a half-circle around the floor. Emi stood uncertainly near the door; Rai leaned on the other side, his eyes continuously flicking out the window. Rin and Aqua stood in the room's center; Riku had taken post outside, watching both for Dream Eaters and for their missing friends. Saber had joined him, and a faint golden glow flashed through the window every now and then.

"So," Aqua said, going the information carefully, "the Dream Eaters just appeared out of nowhere?"

Rin nodded. "A little while after Sora left to take watch from Rider."

"And then Rider didn't return."

"And Sora, apparently, was taken to you guys." Rin's eyes still narrowed skeptically.

Kiritsugu lifted his head. "Archer's still at the temple, Rin."

Caster huffed. "And _my_ Command Seal keeps him there. But I suppose if you're looking for a culprit to Rider's demise, he's the most likely."

Illya murmured, "Or the Dream Eaters got them."

Aqua cast them a glance. She knew Alaya had forced Sora and Anti-Sora out; that something must have changed while they were gone that had stirred up the darkness in the world's heart.

 _Or did it stir the light?_

The quiet possibility flitted about her mind. She cupped her chin. _Something set the world out of balance and allowed the darkness out of control._

She realized several eyes were now focused on her. "We'll help," she decided. "Do you have a plan?"

Kiritsugu offered a mirthless smile. "You said these creatures are born from darkness. Could they be born because of a corrupt artifact?"

Aqua considered the question a few moments. " _How_ corrupt?"

Rin answered, "Enough to destroy an entire block of the city and curse the ground."

Emi stood straighter, eyes widening.

Aqua shot her a look. "Perhaps. You think that's the source?"

"Yeah." He settled a little, eyes distant. "Currently, the best spot to summon the Holy Grail would be Ryuudou Temple. Archer's already there to act as a guard, and a fake Grail's hiding inside."

Rin's expression shifted; Aqua couldn't tell if grief or guilt or frustration flashed across her features. Then she smoothed it, eyes turn calculating. "So is Caster or Lancer going to handle Archer?"

"Caster's going to use her last Command Seal to free him."

The room remained silent several moments. Lancer, Caster, Bazett, and Rin abruptly exploded into protests.

"You think I'd use my last Command Seal for _that_?"

"Wouldn't it be smarter to make him kill himself?"

"How do we know we can trust him?"

Aqua exchanged looks with the rest of her company. _Looks like we've got a long day ahead of us._

 **-Archer** surveyed the temple grounds. Neither his younger self nor the man who adopted him had appeared. More concerning, neither had Sakura.

He pursed his lips, glancing at the strange creatures that lurked in the forest's shadows. They hadn't neared the temple again, but he kept a wary eye on them, just in case.

 _So this is what I'm reduced to, huh?_ He snorted. _Not that it's anything new, I suppose._

Something rumbled.

Archer leapt to his feet, bow in hand.

The temple quaked.

Archer strung an arrow, not quite ready to fire.

Wood and shingles exploded. A massive creature, vaguely worm-like in appearance, reared high. Jagged, spiked horns crested its head. Crooked teeth filled its mouth, while massive, rib-like protrusions curled around a dark, pulsing center. Vibrant colors mixed with dark purples; a symbol resembled a broken heart with jagged, broken wing-like protrusions emblazoned its head.

Archer fired.

The creature lunged, swallowing the arrow.

Archer started.

The creature arched and roared. A shockwave raced across the temple cracking the ground and stirring debris.

Archer crouched and gripped the wall. He squinted through the onslaught. No one ran across the temple grounds seeking refuge. Wood scattered the ground. Rocks and supports piled into corners.

Archer braced himself. "I am the bone of my—"

He leapt aside. The creature's tail crushed where he once stood. Its beady red eyes tracked him.

He fired a barrage of arrows, aiming at the strange sphere in the creature's center.

It tilted slightly. The arrows buried themselves into the soft flesh above. It roared, mouth stretched unusually wide, and dove.

Archer landed on top of the wrecked temple. No spot marked an entry point underground.

The hair on the back of his neck lifted. He whirled and fired.

The creature caught the arrow between its teeth, breaking it.

He exchanged his bow for his swords and threw them. Kanshou and Bakuya appeared again, and again, until he'd created a whirlwind of slashing blades around the monster. It twisted and snapped. One of the blades shattered between its teeth. Another cracked from its tail.

Archer settled into a tree just outside the temple. His bow returned. Caladbolg appeared and transformed. Energy crackled around the makeshift, broken arrow.

An image of Sakura flashed through his mind.

He hesitated momentarily, then released his breath. His mind blanked. _"I am the bone of my sword."_

The creature broke free and charged.

 _Wait._

It neared him, mouth open.

 _Now._ He released. The arrow flew straight towards the creature's open jaws. It clamped onto the altered weapon.

Archer smirked.

The broken phantasm exploded. The branch splintered. Burning spread across Archer's cheek and side. He twisted in the air, rolling upon hitting the ground, ending up on all fours. His vision remained black a few moments before he could blink it clear. His ears rang.

The creature lay sprawl over the temple gate, its head torn apart.

Archer stood and braced himself. "I guess my younger self rubbed off on me, anyways."

Creatures stirred in the shadows.

"And I suppose you'd like to take a piece out of me, as well?" He shook his head, then stilled.

A low rumbling came from the creature. A voice whispered, "Archer." The worm's body shifted and fell, disintegrating. The orb remained intact but transparent, ribs still encasing it like a strange sort of heart. Sakura knelt inside, long veins connecting to a dark space in her chest, trailing like chains to the sphere's wall.

Archer stared.

She lifted her head. "I thought. I could. Control it. Didn't mean to." Her voice came out stilted, choked. "It hurts. Help me."

He instinctively lifted his bow, strung.

Sakura didn't look at him, her fingers curled over her chest.

He remained still several moments. The tension slowly released, his weapon lowered. He released a slow breath, then moved towards the trapped girl.

She jerked abruptly. The ribs clenched tighter. The orb darkened. She screamed.

Archer hurried a safe distance away.

Muscle and flesh formed rapidly, swirling into a long, sinuous body and a head with blood red eyes.

"It can regenerate. Perfect."

 **-Riku** recruited several spirits and sent them as scouts across the city. While they'd been told to check Dream Eater activity, his primary concern was finding some sign of Sora and Shirou. He'd gone out ahead of the others, leaving Saber to guard the house while he looked. _They should've been back by now._

Unless something bad happened.

He tried not to think of it.

He hunted through shadows, wracking his brain for someplace Sora might've gone, that Shirou might've hidden, and realizing he had no idea. Instead he helped evacuate, leading stragglers away from high-damage areas, setting up a few safe zones as best he could—he'd ended up drafting Emi to create barriers—and asking, somewhat fruitlessly, if they'd seen any other individuals wielding giant keys. The locals, unsurprisingly, gave him increasingly odd looks.

Emi said little, creating barriers with a distant expression.

He rested a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

She jumped. She bit her lip, then nodded.

He hesitated, wondering if he should say something else or get back to work. He itched to go hunt the streets again, to bring his friends safely back.

Emi asked, "It's not good, is it?"

He gave her a long look.

She looked down, Keyblade shaking in her clenched fist.

He embraced her. "They're fine. Sora's a Keyblade Master, and Shirou's nearly there. They won't let something like this take them down."

She didn't move.

He moved away, resting both hands on her shoulders. "We'll find them. And we'll deal with whatever we find together. Got it?"

She nodded. Her hand still shook.

"Riku! Emi!" Aqua approached.

"Is it time?"

"Yeah."

Donald and Goofy followed, their expressions similarly worried. Donald said, "We couldn't find Sora."

Aqua said, "And we can't worry about him right now." Her expression remained impassive. "We've got to stem the tide of Dream Eaters. Then we can go and find the others."

Donald and Goofy exchanged uncertain looks.

Riku approached. "Is everyone else in place?"

"They're heading to the temple right now."

A few spirits hovered nearby.

Riku ordered, "Stay and guard them. If all goes well, hopefully things'll settle down soon." They turned and left.

They kept silent as they walked, sun glinting off abandon buildings, a Dream Eater occasionally appearing between houses. An eerie silence settled over the whole city.

Something banged behind them.

Riku paused.

Aqua asked, "Something wrong?"

He searched the shadows a few moments. "No."

The temple steps came into view. The bushes rustled.

Riku reached over and dragged a struggling Illya free. "Hey! Put me down!"

"Illya?" chorused Donald and Goofy.

Aqua said, "You were supposed to stay at the house."

"But I wanted to help! I'm the vessel for the Holy Grail." The group fell into stunned silence. "I know more about this than anyone. I should be here!"

For several moments no one moved.

An explosion sounded up the mountain. Something roared.

Riku asked, "Was that part of the plan?"

"Come on," Aqua said.

Goofy asked, "What about Illya?"

"No time. If she stays out of the line of fire, she can come."

Illya smiled proudly.

Riku set her down. "Stay close to me."

She nodded.

They charged the temple steps. A Dream Eater reared high, part of its side reforming. A battered, red-clad individual that Riku assumed to be Archer leapt away from several dark volleys. A sword materialized and cut through the beast's side.

Riku stared a few moments. Initially, they'd planned to have Lancer, Caster, and Saber enter through the stairs, Kiritsugu and Rin keeping watch while Bazett stood as proxy master. Caster would've released Archer—under threat from the two Servants beside her—while they all acted as a deterrent from turning against them. The rest were to enter from behind and deal with Sakura.

Riku called, "Looks like we're winging it again."

Aqua answered, "Not entirely. Melody and Rai should already be at the back of the temple. Emi, Donald, Goofy, and Illya, I want you to find them. Figure out if Sakura's still in there."

They nodded. Illya shot Riku an apologetic look and followed.

"Gae Bolg!" A blue shape leapt into the air, firing a red spear. The weapon struck the Dream Eater's core and vibrated, then arced through the air at impossible angles and returned to Lancer's hand.

The spearman landed. "What the hell _is_ that thing?"

A few fragments fell from the core, shattering like glass. The core reformed slowly.

Gunshots peppered the beast's face. Several spheres hit its base.

Aqua said, "I'm going to help Lancer," and left.

Saber stood a few paces away, keeping Caster pinned.

Riku approached them. "What happened?"

" _She_ ," Saber spat, "thought this would be a good opportunity to escape."

Caster glowered. The Command Seal still glowed on her hand.

"And that thing?"

"Already here when we arrived. Archer was trying to ward it off." She cast him a glance. "Is this another of those 'Dream Eaters' you spoke of?"

"I thought so, but it's different."

"Different _how_?"

Riku's eyes flicked across the creature. "Normally we'd have more than enough firepower to take it down, even if it _is_ regenerating. We're barely putting a dent in it." His eyes trailed the beast. Its tail and part of its body was visible, but its midsection seemed anchored. "I have an idea."

"Wait— "

Riku sprinted away.

 **-Emi** didn't know why she stopped. The Dream Eater hadn't turned its focus their way yet, but dark blasts riddled the forest like bombs. Kiritsugu's staccato gunfire seemed to come from another place each time. Aqua erected a wall of ice, encasing the beast momentarily. Lancer swiped at the creature, yelling something about "horrible luck" not getting in the way of his fight.

She needed to get to the back of the temple, but Archer had collapsed nearby, face barely visible with his hair hanging loosely around his face.

Donald called, "Come on, Emi! We need to meet the others."

"Go ahead. I'll catch up!"

Archer groaned, slowly lifting himself to his hands and knees. "Just my luck." He half-lifted his head and flashed her a sardonic smirk. "Come to enjoy the show?"

Emi stalled. She blinked. "Shirou?" She crouched, mind whirling. "What happened? How did you—and where's Sora, he was looking for you—and what about Vir, why aren't you using—"

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

She gave him a long, hard look. "Oh." Something clicked. The image of a grave flashed through her mind. More quietly she repeated, "Oh."

"Quite the linguist." He hefted himself to his feet.

Emi hesitated, one hand reaching towards him.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

She did. But she hesitated, unable to shake the image of _their_ Shirou, wondering how the others would react, wondering if Sora knew.

He turned and lifted an eyebrow. "My younger self has certainly gained some strange friends, hasn't he?"

"You're—you know _our_ Shirou?"

"Now isn't the time." He gestured to the Dream Eater.

She followed the gesture. Swallowed. Focused. _Shirou's always been perceptive. That might be because of his heart magic, but if this one's anything like him—_ "You were fighting it first. What did you notice about it?"

He didn't answer a few long moments. "The orb's where you need to strike. There's someone inside, keeping this thing together."

Emi froze.

Archer rubbed his head. "The thing's resilient. Not even my broken phantasms could break through."

Emi took a deep breath. She gathered together what she knew. She glanced at Saber, still holding Caster down. "Shi—Archer. Can you come with me?"

He shot her a puzzled look.

"I need some help getting you free."

 **-Riku** sprinted towards the creature. He ducked and slid as it lunged, skidding along Aqua's ice.

"Thundaga!" Lighting created a cage for the Dream Eater."

"Dark Aura." He teleported, slashing the creature along its length. He landed near the temple wall and kept going.

Lancer landed and slowed his pace to run beside him. "Hey. You guys are good with 'hearts,' right?"

"I guess."

"Well, this thing here," he hefted his lance, "should always strike a lethal blow to someone's heart." His predatory gaze narrowed. "Mind telling me what's strong enough to block it?"

He didn't have time to answer. The creature's back arched from the ground, separating them. Lancer's spear swept, the shaft's back end first slamming the Dream Eater's underside, then swinging so the tip slashed downwards. Riku leapt, Way to the Dawn glowing with light and darkness, and spun. The downward slash left the creature with several wounds and sent its body straight onto Lancer's upraised spear. The earth splintered. Dust flooded the air like mist. When it cleared, no sign of the Dream Eater's body could be seen.

Riku looked at the place where it'd been, then glanced towards its head, still being bombarded by blasts.

Lancer frowned. His gaze suddenly whipped sideways. His speared lifted to block an attack from the tail.

The shadows shifted.

All of a sudden the creature sunk into the ground. The darkness writhed.

 _Darkness. It's reinforcing itself with darkness._

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

 _I've seen this before._ He shook his head.

The shadows moved. Lancer leapt away.

Riku ran.

The Dream Eater's head emerged from the ground, mouth opening wide.

Lancer threw his spear, sending it crashing into the ground.

Riku skidded out of the temple gates.

The Dream Eater twisted, nearly wrapped around itself, going higher as it tried to catch the spearman. Lancer braced his hands and feet against the thing's mouth.

A jewel glinted high above. A single shot shattered it.

The Dream Eater fell sideways, temporarily releasing Lancer. It roared. A shockwave rippled across the ground. Riku braced himself.

The worm spun as it raced towards them, firing a few dark volleys.

Aqua leapt, activating a shot lock, and fired back several beams of rainbow light.

The Dream Eater hardly reacted, snaking towards them. Its neck abruptly slammed the ground.

Riku jolted, unbalanced.

The Dream Eater caught him.

He jabbed his Keyblade into the rough of its mouth. "Blizzaga!" Ice began forming along the roof. "Firag—"

It slammed him into the ground, cutting off his breath. Energy rumbled in the back of its throat.

Several blasts struck its head. It tilted sideways, releasing him.

Darkness gathered overhead. Lightning crackled through red-black clouds.

Aqua stopped beside him. "Riku."

"I know."

The Dream Eater's tail flashed towards them, striking rapidly. Aqua and Riku worked together, parrying their respective blows.

Abruptly Bazett appeared, punching the tail higher. Blood trailed her face and stained her clothes. "I'm getting _very_ tired of this thing."

Riku smiled. Together he and Aqua lunged.

 **-Sora** sat against the crumbling rock wall. Vir lay uselessly across his legs. He knew, somewhere in his mind, that he had to climb out. He couldn't stay down here forever. Vir was the only sign he'd seen of Shirou; there was no longer a point to hanging around.

They still had to fix the Holy Grail, he remembered. But right now he just wanted to rest. When he tried to muster the energy it seemed he stretched a hand through thick, murky water.

He didn't want to explain that Shirou was dead. He didn't want to see Emi's face crumple, didn't want to see Melody rage and Rai go off by himself, didn't want their sympathy and didn't want to look himself in the eye, because he was pretty sure he'd break down and he really couldn't be breaking down right now.

Vir shifted as he released a sigh. "So. That's it." He rubbed dried tear-tracks. "What now?"

His voice echoed through the cavern and provided no answer.

The earth shook. Rubble and dust showered him.

He gave it a dull look, then lowered his head.

The world shook again. Dust coated his hair.

 _Get up._

 _In a minute._

A deep-throated roar rumbled the cavern.

 _Are you a Keyblader, or aren't you?_

He held Vir tightly. The keychain clinked against his charm, hidden in his pocket.

The world shook more violently. Something tumbled and clinked through the rubble, glinting.

Sora lifted his head slowly. Earth poured in small rivulets around the cave. He pushed himself to his feet, Vir lifted heavily into his arms like a security blanket. His footsteps thumped dully, lost in the sound of another roar.

The object glinted, and Sora moved a little quicker. His fingers traced familiar stained-glass and metal lying between small spots of dried blood. _Shirou's charm._ He lifted the item by its broken chain and, carefully, tied it to the place where Vir's keychain once hung.

Rocks clattered. Someone shouted, just in his hearing.

 _Riku. Donald and Goofy. They're out there._

Golden eyes seemed to stare into him from the darkness.

He forced himself to stand. He moved to the wall and, Vir clenched between his fingers and magic flowing tenuously from his heart, he started climbing.

 **-"Dark Firaga!"** The fireball flew over Aqua's ice wall and collided with the Dream Eater's face. The attack was punctuated by several volleys from Rin.

The Dream Eater lunged, shattering the ice.

Lancer leapt from behind them and speared the creature's head. It screeched and lifted. The spearman clung there, one hand braced.

Riku's gaze slid to the sphere, caged safely between several rib-like protrusions. Magic filled him and pooled in his shoes. He leapt, catapulting off a tree. Bazett joined him on the other side. The two struck the sphere simultaneously. It didn't budge.

Bazett asked, "What is that _made_ of?"

Riku shook his head.

They landed. Aqua and Riku took off in different directions. Aqua skidded around and shot three fireballs simultaneously. Riku copied her action, the attacks colliding with the sphere. Several gems flew above the Dream Eater and broke, creating a sort of barrier that pinned it to the ground. It writhed, screeching, straining against the hold. Lancer, now free, skidded the length of its back. Bazett punched it, lines glowing down her arms. Its back arched right into Lancer's stab.

The lance stuck. "You've got to be _kidding me_."

Aqua lifted her Keyblade. "Mega Flare!"

"Dark Firaga!"

Lancer leapt free. The magical attacks struck the beast in a massive explosion of dark fire. The forest burned. They watched a few moments.

The Dream Eater reared, pieces of burning flesh sloughing away. It turned towards them and lunged, jaws wide.

A single shot struck the side of its head. It stalled, then abruptly turned and fell. The ground shook. Kiritsugu walked towards them slowly, lowering his gun.

The flesh burned away amidst the flames, leaving the orb.

Aqua asked, "What was _that_?"

"An Origin Bullet." His expression turned troubled.

"Wait!" Emi shouted.

"Emi?" Riku started towards her. "Weren't you supposed to be going to the temple?"

"There's a _person_ inside that orb!"

He stalled. Blinked. "What?"

The orb cleared, as if on cue. A figure knelt, listless, inside.

Rin gasped. "Sakura?"

Emi skidded towards them, panting. "She's—she might be calling it."

Riku held her steady. "Deep breaths."

"Hey!" Rin pounded on the orb. "We need to get her out of there!"

Riku searched her face. "Where'd you find that out?"

The orb shook. Darkness spiraled outward. Rin flew, skidded, and caught herself. The orb lifted, darkening. A form materialized, slowly coalescing into a barely-visible worm, rearing against the dark sky.

A single arrow flew towards the Dream Eater and struck its eye. It hissed, whipping around.

Archer stood, smirking, bow still lifted. But there was something familiar about the face—

Aqua whispered, "Is that _Shirou_?"

Riku shot a surprised look towards Emi.

She smiled and shrugged.

Something golden flashed. Saber took a step, weapon glowing. Wind and light flared. Golden motes rose from the grass.

"Clear a path," Archer warned.

Riku steered Emi to the side.

"Ex—"

The Dream Eater dove.

"—caliber!"

* * *

… _So. That was a long chapter. And the next one's going to be longer. Yay, climax chapters._

 _So who can correctly guess the nature of this Dream Eater? And who can guess "stage two" of this boss fight?_

 _Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _looking forward for the next chapter. and to see the resolution Sora will come to, as well as how his friends will deal with the knowledge that Shirou, the keyblader, is dead._ – This _should_ be coming up next chapter. Originally, I was actually going to have it included in this one, but…there's still a decent amount I had to do, and Saber's Excalibur moment seemed like a good place to break. This first part of the next chapter, though, lands squarely with Sora and his…current struggles.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _That's just so saaaaaad. What will happen with Vir now that Shirou is passed away? And dang, Sakura has yet to get save. Which bring me another eerie thought, will Archer kill her out of mercy?_ – I have _plans_ for Vir. And that charm. That should hopefully come to fruition next chapter. And…you'll have to see on that one, but he's certainly feeling more hesitant than normal.

 **ultima-owner:** _they got there at a good time. I hope they can save as many as possible from the dream eaters._ – They've managed to help quite a few! Now if only they can stop _this_ one…

 **DPSS:** _Wait, I know Shirou fell unconscious, but didn't he win that fight? So how come he's not only seemingly dead but there are also nightmares everywhere?_ – It's sort of a pyrrhic victory. Technically speaking, he did win. That being said, he also was basically a sitting duck while he was trying to force the connection to the world. Alaya's minions weren't going to say no to _that_ advantage, and continued attacking him. It's worth noting that he'd kind of realized he wasn't going to make it out once he found himself surrounded by them, so…he did what he thought would help most. The Dream Eaters are actually a direct result of that battle—Alaya would never let them roam normally, if she could help it. That being said, there are some rather beneficial things coming out of it in the next few chapters…

 **InfernalFox:** _Shirou is dead, Sora is technically a Heartless, Sora is gonna have either a: breakdown or: Anti Rampage. I vote 4 the 2_ _nd_ – I seriously considered having him go on an anti rampage, but…there wasn't anything for him to rampage _against_ in the near vicinity.

 _With the climax here and the end nearing, how do you think things will go down? Please leave a review with your thoughts!_


	93. Hero

_Here's chapter ninety – three! Thank you Parks98, Yolea Irk's, and ultima-owner for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety – Three: Hero**

Archer opened his eyes slowly as Excalibur's light faded. The worm had, seemingly, disappeared.

He didn't look towards Kiritsugu, despite feeling the man's gaze on him.

Caster, he noted, had disappeared. He wondered if she planned to swoop in once she was sure the worm wouldn't return. He discarded the idea a moment later; she'd likely make sure he was long out of the way before she did so.

 _"You know that, if I'm stuck like this, I'm just as likely to attack you guys as that monster?"_

 _"Please, Caster. If you help, we promise you can leave. We won't hurt you. Just let Archer go."_

He shook the memory away.

The girl who'd helped him spoke quickly with a man and woman both wielding strange weapons similar to her own; he wondered if they were speaking about his younger self.

Saber's footsteps approached. She didn't speak, and they both watched the area for several moments. "You haven't put your bow away."

"I could say the same about your sword."

"The sky hasn't changed."

Unnatural darkness still choked the clouds. An ominous feeling kept his fingers tight around his bow. His eyes remained pinned to the place where the worm has once stood.

One of the Keyblade wielders stopped talking, casting a look towards the sky. She turned and spoke rapidly to her companion, who shook his head.

The wind picked up. Energy swirled around them.

The woman shouted, "Get back!"

They leapt clear. Archer skidded into the trees, bow lifted.

The energy swirled into a dark, pulsing ball. A vaguely-human form appeared amidst the shifting mists.

Archer tensed. _Not yet. Wait._

The darkness streamed behind the orb, stretching into a long, strange creature. It vaguely resembled the worm, with the same long body and horned head. The body stretched its edges around the orb. A few claw-like extensions gripped the outside. Jagged spines erupted along the creature's back. Two large, clawed hands cupped the bottom of the orb. A few wing-like blades hovered above the creature's back. Its lower body fell into a pool of darkness that stuck to the grass and dirt, leaving behind small traces as it fluctuated.

Small, dark creatures formed, colorful but menacing, small, spiked balls with a vaguely bug-like appearance.

For a moment the blue-haired woman stood still, face pale and eyes wide.

Lancer shouted, "Hey! You guys know what this thing is?"

Saber murmured, "I believed Excalibur had destroyed it. It's destroyed similar monsters before."

The silver-haired man approached them. "This thing isn't your average _monster_." He casted an unsettled look towards the worm.

Archer asked, quietly, "Can we stop it?"

The man pursed his lips.

Archer snorted. "Looks like I've been put into another impossible situation. Just my luck." He lifted his bow, a sword stretching into a crackling arrow.

"Archer?"

His eyes flicked towards the shape inside the sphere. He hesitated a moment, then shifted his aim towards the monster's head and fired.

His broken phantasm exploded. The creature roared, darkness flaking away like flesh. Its head whipped around, reforming.

The silver-haired man asked, "Saber, could you use that attack again?"

"Not without time to recharge. If this is to be a prolonged fight, I need to spare prana—both my Master's and my own."

The blue-haired woman shouted, "Riku, Kiritsugu, Rin, Emi, Bazett, you five handle the small ones. Archer, Saber, Lancer, we're going after _that._ " She nodded towards the larger creature.

Already Rin and Bazett had entered the fray, small blasts colliding with the armored bugs, Bazett's reinforced hands slamming into their midsections. Kiritsugu had disappeared, but seemed to be reinforcing the perimeter; a shot would strike a bug whenever it broke the line. The silver-haired man—Riku, Archer assumed—leapt into combat. Emi hesitated, then shook her head and followed suit, shooting dark fireballs.

Archer and Saber moved in unison, sprinting towards the beast. Archer exchanged his bow for Kanshou and Bakuya, sliding into an easy spin to deflect two of the armored creatures. Saber caught one he knocked towards her, using her blade to fling the monster towards one of its flying companions, coming back to a quick slash and stab towards another that blocked their path.

Lancer leapt high above the battle, flinging his lance directly into the monster's eye. He landed on its head while it roared, swinging back and forth.

"Blizzaga!" The blue-haired woman slid on a path of ice, cutting between the swarm. She leapt from the end into an uppercut, sending one of the bugs into the monster's abdomen. She sprinted through the throng, dodging and swinging.

Archer raced ahead while Saber covered behind, her golden blade blocking an attacker. He pulled back when three bugs hovered in his path, parrying two strikes.

"Archer." Saber lifted her blade, wind spiraling.

He smirked.

"Strike Air!" She stabbed. The whirlwind whipped his cloak, spiraling wildly around him, creating a barrier and direct path towards the beast. He ran, his vision tunneling, and slid silently the last few feet, Kanshou sticking into the creature's lower body.

The darkness crawled up his boots and clung to his legs. He jerked, goosebumps lifting on his arms, and hacked at the shadows.

"Fira!" A fireball flashed across the darkness. It loosened and retreated slightly.

Archer wrenched free, leaping back onto solid ground.

The blue-haired woman asked, "You okay?"

"Fine." His eyes swept towards the orb. He took a few steps back, then leapt, digging both swords into the worm's hide.

The worm rocked, sending him swinging. He clung tightly, wind tugging his hair. He traced another sword and planted it higher, using his old ones as stepping stones. The worm settled momentarily, and he kicked off, tracing another sword and slamming it higher into the beast's skin.

Lancer shouted, "That all you got?" He jerked his lance, forcing the worm's head to turn.

"Firaga!"

"Strike Air!"

The giant fireball caught in Saber's whirlwind, blasting the creature's face.

The worm shook its head, and Lancer braced himself.

Saber shouted, "Look out!"

Two of the blade-like wings swept towards Lancer. He freed his lance and swatted them aside. They hovered a moment, then returned, spinning. His weapon became a red blur, clanging metal splitting the air.

Two more wings flew towards Archer. He spun around his sword, dodging one and landing on the hilt. He leapt, avoiding another, and traced a sword, pinning it higher. Kanshou and Bakuya flew, spinning towards the wings while Archer hung suspended.

"Thunder!" Small bolts of lightning momentarily knocked the wings off-track.

Archer swung, flinging himself partly around the beast. One of the wings nicked his cheek. A few driblets of blood traced his path. A large broad sword materialized, and he dug into the beast's flesh, the weapon ripping a line as it tried to catch him. He came to an abrupt halt, flailing.

Saber leapt, the ground cracking beneath her feet, and used Archer's makeshift path.

Lancer, almost simultaneously, jumped from the creature's head, the blade-wings diving after him.

The two passed him, barely glancing at each other.

Archer twisted himself onto the broad sword's blade, materialized his bow and sword, and fired.

The weapon hadn't been transformed into an arrow. The draw was tenser, the weapon less effective, but it was enough; the sword lodged loosely in the worm's flesh, giving Saber a final platform. She leapt higher, golden blade flashing, and crashed into the wings. They struggled a few moments, golden light flaring, then shattered, falling like poisoned rain around the Servant.

Lancer batted the two lower wings aside, weapon making brilliant streaks through the air.

"Aero." A whirlwind spiraled around the blue-haired woman, catching Lancer and diverting him from the darkness below. When the air disappeared the woman hissed, "Triple Firaga!" and shot several flames into the monster's base.

Saber scrambled for a hold, Excalibur digging into the worm's flesh.

Below, flames and explosions rocked the field. Bazett slid between enemies with practiced form; one bug stabbed her shoulder, and she twisted, clutching and flinging it. Rin alternated between close combat and Gandr shots. Emi had created a large ice wall, with traps apparently set up around the base. She and Riku attacked from the top.

From the darkness spawned countless more armored creatures, dripping and unstable, jerking hissing.

Archer focused on the orb, not far above his head. He traced one last sword and planted it, using it to boost him. He gripped the claws and hauled himself towards the orb.

Sakura's form was just visible inside.

He traced Kanshou, lifting it, then stalled. He glanced aside. "Sorry. I guess I couldn't save you again."

His hand didn't fall. His fingers tightened around the weapon's hilt. His hand shook. The tip of the blade touched the orb.

He dropped it, letting it dematerialize. "Guess there's not much point anymore, is there? Might as well go for broke."

Rule Breaker materialized.

"To be fair, I'm not sure this will work." He stabbed.

The claws dislodged him before he made contact. He fell, for a few moments unable to right himself.

The worm's jaws stretched wide above him. It dove, and all of a sudden all he could see was darkness.

Something sticky and cold wrapped his hands and feet. The cold burned into his limbs, tiny knives digging deep beneath. He struggled, jerking his arms. He tried to trace.

Static. His mind blanked. Pain ripped from his heart to his limbs on a grid. His heart stuttered. His breathing stopped.

The pain subsided, and he gasped.

The darkness crept up his arms and legs. He struggled a few moments, teeth gritted.

Something wet stuck to his head and forced it to turn.

Sakura knelt, facing away.

Her name stuck in his throat.

"Why didn't you save me?" She turned slowly, eyes black. "Nobody comes."

Blades pierced her chest and arms. She jerked then stilled.

His eyes widened.

"Shirou." Illya stepped from the darkness.

He didn't speak, and neither did she. Slowly she withered, skin shrinking and clinging to her skeleton, then sloughing away, her bones crumbling.

Some part of his mind insisted there was something _off_ with the situation, but the next visitor derailed his train of thought.

"Son." Kiritsugu stepped from the shadows.

He finally found his voice. "I—Dad."

A gun pointed towards his head. "Sacrifice the few to save the many. Isn't that our motto?"

He stared a few moments, mind not clicking.

The lever pulled back.

Archer closed his eyes and lowered his head.

 _Something's wrong._

 _How did_ this _Illya know my name is Shirou?_

His eyes opened a fraction. She hadn't been with the others. She hadn't even seen him this timeline.

 _Which means—_

He lifted his head, slowly, and locked eyes with the image of his father. Then he purposefully looked past him. "Sakura. Are you there?"

The darkness yawned back.

"You said you wanted to make your own choices. That all your life you've been controlled. Surely this is no different?"

Kiritsugu's fingers tightened around the gun, but he didn't fire.

"But I suppose you _chose_ to try and control this, didn't you? Thought you were stronger than you were?"

"I didn't call this," Kiritsugu said, his voice underscored by a quieter, feminine one.

Archer shot the man a strange look, then continued, "Then why are you here?"

No response.

He sighed. "Well. Fight or give up, that's your choice. No one would blame you." He supposed that was a lie; he had firsthand experience. "But I'd appreciate either getting this over with or letting me go. I'm tired. Not a lot I can do here if you don't want to be saved." He shrugged. The cloying darkness crept up his neck, sticky and cold.

After a few moments Kiritsugu's apparition said, "You have a choice, too."

"Yes."

"What would you choose?"

His steely gaze met the wraith's. He held the gaze a moment, seeing momentarily the man he'd become and the man he could have been. Then, beyond that, he saw the girl who'd wished so desperately to be saved.

He was not a hero, he supposed. If he were, he'd likely vow to save Sakura _and_ the world. In reality, he'd be more likely to kill her by his hands— _again_ —to ensure the world survived.

They both knew this. It's why they'd gotten along; he didn't judge or coddle her, and she provided the same, but they both knew that, if it came down to it, he'd choose the world.

 _Unless._

Kiritsugu's arm lowered. The figure disappeared, replaced by Sakura, long dark tendrils trapping her.

 _"Archer!"_

He jerked. Pain ripped his neck. Sakura disappeared.

Light spilled across his face. A golden sword flashed, Saber backlighted by something bright.

The Servant fell, racing towards him, and the light's source—several glowing orbs—fell into the space. The darkness boiled and burned. A hissing, popping sound resounded.

Saber's blade cut into one of his restraints.

He pursed his lips to keep from speaking, watching as the blade slowly melted the darkness.

Shadows flared behind Saber. She jerked, then dodged.

Archer jerked his arm free. Another shadow stretched to try and reclaim it. "Trace. On." He reinforced his limbs and pushed. The darkness strained, attempting to keep him trapped.

Several blasts of light collided with his shackles. Explosions rocked and blinded him. The darkness cracked and crumbled.

Archer burst free. He and Saber jumped, the gap closing rapidly.

Saber made it through first. Archer gripped the edge and hauled himself onto the beast's head.

The blue-haired woman said, "Let's go. We need to try something else."

Saber nodded, and the two dodged down the worm.

Archer traced his bow in one hand, Rule Breaker in the other. _I'm not even sure this will work._ He shook his head. He launched, spinning, and hovered a moment, wind catching his cloak. He lifted his bow, Rule Breaker elongating, crackling. Fractures snapped along the blade. The arrow stretched too-thin, long and glass-like, red lighting brightening its edges and burning his hand. He lifted the arrow and pointed straight towards the orb.

The worm roared, head still forming.

"Rule Breaker." He fired.

- **Sora** pulled himself into the temple. Stone lay crumbled, the door beside caved. He stared a few moments.

The roar sounded, carrying towards him across the hallway.

He lifted his head slowly. The roar faded, and underneath came soft, familiar voices. "…ere she could be?"

"Gawrsh, do you think that Dream Eater might've got her?"

"No way. She's a _lesser Grail_."

"Okay, great, but can we _stop talking_ and start worrying about what happens if that Dream Eater comes after us?"

"The others are distracting it. Probably."

Sora pushed himself slowly to his feet, Vir clacking the ground. His footfalls dragged him towards the voices.

Donald, Goofy, Melody, Rai, and Illya walked the hallway, peering into rooms and inspecting rubble.

Sora stopped, and for a few moments it seemed they wouldn't notice him.

Melody turned, did a double-take, then cried, "Sora!" and raced towards him.

Donald and Goofy whipped towards him, exchanged glances, and followed suit, Illya and Rai close behind.

Sora offered a weak smile.

Melody asked, "Did you find Shirou?"

His smile froze. For a few moments his mind turned off, and he no longer knew what to say.

Melody's grin fell to something smaller as she searched his face.

Rai murmured, "That's Shirou's Keyblade."

Illya didn't say anything.

The roar resounded again. The structure shook. Darkness pooled, releasing armored, wasp-like Dream Eaters.

Melody and Rai whipped towards them, Keyblades materializing.

Illya tugged a few strands of hair free. They glowed, weaving into bird-like shapes. "We've got this." She gave Sora an unreadable look.

He met her gaze, then turned towards Donald and Goofy.

The two didn't meet his eyes for several moments. Then Donald lifted his head and said, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Sora's grip tightened around Vir. He lunged, past Melody and Rai, and slammed the blade into a Dream Eater. It collided with another, sending both crashing into the wall.

Melody whooped. Fire exploded around her as she charged past, blade crashing into a Dream Eater.

"Magnega!" Rai's spell lifted several Dream Eaters into the air. Illya's birds flew loops around them, attacking with wings and beaks and claws.

Sora took a deep breath and looked to the sky. Darkness crackled across the clouds. "Donald. Goofy." He turned and forced a broken smile. "You ready?"

Their expressions hardened. Donald lifted his staff, Goofy his shield.

Sora nodded, and the three charged.

Goofy moved in front, lifting his shield; the Dream Eaters bounced off, scattering across the hall. Donald raced around, jumping and unleashing Thundaga. Several Dream Eaters froze, stunned. Magic pooled into Sora's feet; he leapt, bracing himself on Goofy's shield. His friend lifted his arms, and Sora skyrocketed, bashing into a line of Dream Eaters, skidding across the floor on his landing. He kicked backwards, slashing wide, while Rai soared over him, making a similar arc.

Melody screamed, fire exploding around her. Dream Eaters flew away, singed. They righted themselves dizzily, shaking off soot.

Something stabbed Sora's abdomen, twice. He whipped towards the Dream Eater, but another caught his arm, trying to lift him. He flipped; the Dream Eater fell with the added weight. He rolled, sliding along the floor, and sailed into a series of wild strikes, blindly attacking through the hoard.

Two birds spiraled beside him, white light trailing his face as they dove, spinning, into the center of two Dream Eaters.

"This way!" Rai called. He gestured towards another hallway.

A mass of Dream Eaters converged on Melody, pinning her. She tried to swing her blade, but the monsters kept her pinned. Donald intervened, shooting several small Blizzard spells to drive a few away. Melody freed herself with a war cry, flames licking her Keyblade. Goofy covered them, shield lifted.

Sora followed last, his footsteps echoing even beneath the buzzing swarm.

Rai's path led them to a ravaged courtyard. A long furrow rent the ground. Several Dream Eaters emerged above it, blocking their path. Others followed them, wings stirring the air.

Rai and Illya faced one side; Sora, Melody, Donald, and Goofy slid to face the other. Sora's eyes narrowed, and he dropped low, muscles bunched, the charm on Vir's hilt glinting.

The Dream Eaters charged.

Sora screamed and attacked, moving into an upward swing, then lifting from the ground and kicking another Dream Eater, flowing easily into a spin that landed him in the battle's center.

Fireballs exploded around him, highlighting the battlefield in hellish light. Rai's distant shouts of, "Slow!" reached him, the whoosh of Illya's birds following.

Sora hit once, twice, bashing a Dream Eater quickly towards its companions. One snagged his coat, then his sleeve, and he released Vir momentarily and dragged himself free.

Vir clattered lifelessly against the dirt.

Sora scrambled for it, fingers fumbling with the hilt.

Something plunged into his back. He jerked, pain blossoming through his right shoulder blade.

A loud clang. Goofy stopped just beside him, shield lifted. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He stood slowly. His eyes caught a small group of Dream Eaters approaching, and he stepped beside his friend, slashing twice, then dropping back while Goofy charged, clearing a path.

Donald appeared briefly on his shoulder while he retreated, then leapt into the clear, squawking a spell.

Sora's shoes scuffed the dirt. He turned and punched an approaching Dream Eater, for a moment locking eyes. Vir lunged upwards, cracking the Dream Eater's armor. He stretched his hand, light shimmering across his palm.

The Kingdom Key materialized, and from its tip exploded a burst of light. The attack cut across the open ground, ripping the grass, tearing dirt, sending Dream Eaters flying. He followed his self-made path, weapons twirling.

For a short while combat blurred. He moved and hacked and slashed and didn't think. One enemy fell, another replaced it, and he continued, spinning and cutting and stabbing, blocking and dodging and ducking, each action practiced and automatic. Occasionally he brushed against the others, Rai's blade flashing, Donald ordering spell after spell.

A Dream Eater collided with the side of his face. He fell to one knee, then turned, blocking with one Keyblade while the other braced the ground.

Melody shouted, "Don't these things ever stop coming?"

Sora launched, swinging both Keyblades in an X across the Dream Eater. He hit another one twice with the Kingdom Key, then slashed with Vir.

Rai cried, "The trench!"

Melody asked, "What?"

"We can hide there and use magic to bar it! It'd at least make it so they can't attack us all at once."

"Did you forget we still need to find Sakura?"

Nobody answered her.

Illya's birds flashed, slamming into two Dream Eaters. "We need to survive first. Let's give it a shot."

The small group sprinted towards the line. Rai and Melody swept to the sides, casting Blizzard spells to protect them from the swarm. Sora turned and covered their backs, casting a wide Blizzaga spell across the field, catching several Dream Eaters in its glittering case.

The strange, eerie roar sounded. A dark, worm-like figure reared into the skyline. The wind lifted. Lightning crackled. Some struck the field, near Sora. A portion of the temple seemed to unravel into a strange, discolored mist.

"What's happening?" Illya whispered.

Sora stared a few moments. "The world's falling to darkness." He whipped towards Donald and Goofy. "We need to—"

He broke off, a Dream Eater slamming into his stomach.

"Sora!" Goofy shouted.

Melody began scrambling over the ice.

Sora skidded, digging the Kingdom Key in the slow his momentum. "We need to retreat!" _To what?_ a small part of him asked.

A swarm of Dream Eaters chased him. He leapt away, firing a blast of ice that propelled him backwards.

Several fireballs came as support from Melody. Illya's birds swooped above him, crowing support, sweeping downwards and striking some of the Dream Eaters away.

He crashed through the crumbling wall, falling and coming to an abrupt halt against the far side. He dragged himself to his feet and ran. Several Dream Eaters crashed into the wall after him.

A bug burst through an opening. He hit twice with both blades. A small group materialized behind their fallen comrade and slammed Sora through a doorway. Splinters cluttered his vision. Sharp pain filled his injured shoulder, and he bounced once, rolling, eventually regaining his footing, the Kingdom Key dragging the ground, Vir held high. "Fira!" Several fireballs exploded in rapid succession from his Keyblade, colliding with the Dream Eaters. Some fell, others wove around them, and he swung, then erected an icy barrier and took several steps back.

The Dream Eaters flew above, twitching, apparent against the dark sky.

Sora took several deep breaths, steeling himself.

The worm—now directly behind him—lifted its head and roared.

Almost simultaneously Sora screamed, "Tornado!"

The whirlwind captured bits of wood, rock, and earth. A few Dream Eaters struggled, some trying to fly away, some clinging to the ice, before the gale drew them into the spiral. Chunks broke off the ice and clinked loudly against the debris.

Sora lowered the Kingdom Key slowly, directing it back towards the temple, around the courtyard. The magic seemed to reflect the storm high above, crackling with energy. Sora flinched. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His fingers shook around Vir's handle.

The magic snapped. The Kingdom Key dropped to the dirt. The temple's remains dropped unceremoniously around the courtyard.

Sora remained there several moments, hunched.

The worm roared.

 _The others._ They had to leave, had to get off this world—

 _But what about_ all _of them?_

He didn't have an answer and turned, sluggishly, towards the mountain gate.

He turned in time to see Archer fire a strange, crackling arrow towards the great worm. It struck its heart, and the worm jerked, for a moment seemingly stunned.

He turned in time to see Archer land, something resembling an almost-familiar, relieved smile cross his face.

He turned in time to see that the worm seemed to be unresponsive, but his magic told him that a heart was readying for action, to attack.

And, for a moment, all he could do was stare, frozen, because his mind kept telling him this wasn't _his_ Shirou, his was _gone_ , that there were too many differences, that he looked and acted different, that he didn't share a past and he'd been shaped by an entirely different world.

And then he moved, because his heart kept insisting that this was _still Shirou,_ and he couldn't lose him twice in the span of the same day.

"Look out!"

Archer turned towards him, eyes wide, mouth open like he'd been about to say something.

The worm lunged.

Sora knocked Archer aside. The Kingdom Key vanished. Vir fell and clattered against the ground.

And then darkness swallowed him.

 **-Archer** remained where he fell. The Keyblade lay where it fell, a strange charm glinting on the end.

 _Isn't that—?_

The worm pulled back, jaws opening, abruptly empty.

The battlefield abruptly exploded into chaos. "Sora!" Riku sprinted towards the creature.

Emi screamed, "Can we get him out? Like we did with Archer?"

Saber leapt silently.

The blue-haired woman shouted, "Hold your positions!" Her voice wavered. "We'll try to free him, but keep the other Dream Eaters from overwhelming us."

Saber hacked a long, deep cut into the monster's side. Riku dealt several quick blows, teleporting higher, while Saber used reinforced legs to leap towards the heart. Archer noticed offhandedly that his attack hadn't been completely ineffective, after all; a crack fractured the orb, oozing liquid shadow.

The worm screeched, blade-wings flaring wide. A dark pulse swept over the field, knocking the air-born Riku and Saber backwards.

Archer reached out and took the Keyblade. The metal didn't gleam, dull and dead. He snorted and glanced towards the worm, the allowed his gaze to travel towards Kiritsugu.

The man hadn't left the trees, but he fired more often, bullets flying until his gun clicked. He searched his coat, then threw the gun aside.

Rin continued firing Gandr blasts. A couple bugs piled onto her back, and she jerked, then threw a jewel.

Emi dodged around a swarm, trailing ice, until a small group charged her.

Lancer had stopped to help Bazett, and the two currently stood back-to-back.

Saber and the Keyblader woman kept trying to get to the worm's head, but the blade-wings knocked them back.

Archer's gaze trailed towards the hole, towards the dark sky, and finally lingered on the beast's mouth. Something inside him hardened. He lifted the Keyblade into his lap, placing the charm carefully overtop. _Trace. On._

Circuit lines trailed his fingers and ran into the Keyblade. It trailed the dead, dull edges, then moved, every slowly, into the charm.

 _Something's there._

A faint light glimmered, and shot, straight towards the heart of the world.

All at once Archer found himself in a wide, white space. Images flickered past him, barely visible. A faint figure, flickering with static, sat a short distance away, the Keyblade resting across his lap.

"You know," the figure murmured, voice distorted, "I don't think I was ever meant to be a hero."

Archer started, then smirked. "You never fail to provide surprising conversations, do you?"

"It's true." The figure's head glanced his way. "This weapon should've been yours, not mine."

"Hardly. I'm no more 'hero' than you are."

The figure's shoulders slumped.

"But what are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

He shrugged. "I'm a part of the world's heart. I suppose I was just absorbed into it again." His fists curled slowly. "But now the world is falling to darkness. I tried to reach her. I did." He sighed. "But it looks like everything I did failed."

 _I was called to the world's heart._

The words bounced about in Archer's head, creating an inkling, a hopeful, impossible idea.

 _Well. It looks like some version of me became a hero, after all._

"If you could help them, would you? Even if you would still have to leave me behind, in the end?"

The figure's head lifted.

Archer hesitated, and the words tasted bittersweet. "Your father could use your help."

"Sora?"

"Talk to the 'world.' Let me handle the rest." His face faded into an echo, the world wavering back into the battlefield. The Keyblade— _Vir, its name is Vir_ —still rested in his lap.

He stood, carrying the weapon, and raced towards Kiritsugu.

The man had pulled a knife from his coat, and swung it into a bug's neck now, Command Seals faded but present on his hand.

Archer swung the Keyblade, flinging away another that tried to attack his surrogate father from behind.

The man whipped around, knife ready, and paused.

For a moment neither said anything. Archer released his breath slowly. "Do you want to help them?"

Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed with interest, but his knife remained poised.

Something like regret passed through Archer—a strange, child-like longing that he quickly pushed aside. "Then how about you summon another Servant? You still have your Command Seals."

"With what catalyst?" His voice still came out wary.

"You have one, right here." He lifted the Keyblade, but a vague motion allowed him to gesture to himself. _I suppose I wouldn't be the first fake Servant to serve as a catalyst for a real one._

Kiritsugu's eyes locked on the Keyblade, and Archer could already see him putting pieces together, weighing the options.

"Decide quickly. We don't have a lot of time."

Kiritsugu lowered his blade, nodded, and hurried into the forest.

Archer turned to face the swarm. He planted the Keyblade into the ground and readied his bow. Several shots fired in rapid succession, downing just as many.

More hurried to take their place. Archer fired again, and again, and again. A faint mist trailed past him—the monsters fading or something else, he wasn't certain. The world shook. The worm rose above it all, imposing against the darkened sky, two figures still relentlessly trying to make their way to its head.

"Heed my words."

Archer gripped the Keyblade and leapt backwards.

"My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny."

Light flared across Archer's body. He landed just outside the summoning circle. The bugs stopped, hovering uncertainly.

"If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning."

Heat flooded Archer from his chest outward. Glowing cracks flickered along his skin.

One bug finally charged him.

"I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world."

Archer smacked the bug with Vir.

"That I shall defeat all evil in the world."

He dragged the blade around, slicing another. A few pieces of his flesh seemed to crack away, light flooding from the gaps.

 _What are you doing?_

"Seventh heaven, clad in the great words of power—"

 _You don't have to do this._

 _I'm not doing it for you. Maybe I just wanted to pretend I could be a hero._

"—come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"

Light flared. Icy burning pulsed through Archer, then faded. He had the vaguest sense of a figure reaching their hand through his, clasping Vir, light solidifying into form.

He smiled, and then everything was white.

* * *

 _And there's the end of the second third of the climax! Last climax chapter, and then a closing chapter…_

 _On Archer's thoughts about the summoning: Yes, he was referring to True Assassin being summoned from Fake Assassin in Heaven's Feel. To be clear, he doesn't remember_ exactly _what happened; he just has some inkling._

 _Anywho, review responses:_

 **Parks98:** _Well we are finally at the breaking point. Where everything is reaching it's climax...I can't wait._ – Things are coming to a head in a rather…interesting fashion.

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Poor Sora. The lost of his student must have torned him deep inside. Made me wish Shirou could have made it alive. Hopefully when we reach the climax, we will have something connected with him to remembered aside from Vir and the charm at least._ – Well, in a way…kind of. Shirou may not get to go back with them (or technically be, you know, alive), but…well, you'll see.

 **ultima-owner:** _does the worm dream eater that does know how to die have a name?_ – Technically it's called "Gaia's Bane." Not that it actually shows up in-story…

 _If you have any comments or questions, please drop a review and let me know!_


	94. Holding On and Letting Go

_Here's chapter ninety – four! Thank you reality deviant, Kiri Kaitou Clover, ultima-owner, OrionGold, DPSS, Initiumi, conan . lagace , Yolea Irk's, and Yagami Kuzuki for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety – Four: Holding On and Letting Go**

Emi skidded across the ground. She panted, dirt and grass scuffing her clothes, pants torn at the knees, dried blood caked onto the side of her face, itchy and occasionally flaking onto her arms. She jerked her Keyblade upward and parried a Dream Eater, then another, heavy arms forced to move quickly. "Blizzaga!" A few ice crystals materialized at the tip of her Keyblade, then faded away.

A Dream Eater barreled into her, knocking her sideways. She scrambled, fingers clawing grass, and stabbed. The Dream Eater fell, darkness spiraling outwards. She panted a few moments, then pushed herself, for a few moments, into the shelter of the trees.

Aqua, Saber, and Lancer still attacked the massive Dream Eater near the temple. A massive wound split its face momentarily—dealt from Lancer, it seemed—then fixed itself, darkness almost seeming to seep from the atmosphere. Riku fought Dream Eaters at the creature's base, occasionally casting frustrated glances towards those above him.

Something cold and strange oozed through Emi's fingers. She jerked. A rock spiraled into gray-brown mist. The ground where it once sat pulled, as if it wanted to follow. Some fragmented and scattered into the air.

She took several jagged, unsteady breaths. She forced herself onto shaking legs and stumbled towards another wave of Dream Eaters, an involuntary war cry escaping, eyes burning, Keyblade drawn far back.

Glowing arrows flashed around her, spearing several Dream Eaters. She skidded, her charge abruptly halted, and smacked the last Dream Eater, sending it sprawling through the dirt. She turned, half-intending to thank Archer, half-wondering if she'd have the breath to.

Shirou stood—Vir, in bow form, still raised—just within the tree line.

For a few moments her mouth worked without forming words. Then her knees crumpled. "Shirou. You're okay—thank God, you're okay, but, but Sora—" She released a heavy breath, too worn to come up with words.

Shirou's eyebrows lowered a fraction, his eyes softening, and she realized he was unusually melancholic. She slowly realized his clothes were different—they resembled ceremonial Keyblade Armor, a black formal jacket and pants layered with dark blue-and-gold armor plating.

She held her head. "O-or are you Archer, and I'm just hallucinating?"

Shirou shook his head slowly. "It's me, Emi. But it's complicated." He glanced aside, then seemed to steel himself. "You said something about Sora?"

She glanced towards the worm.

Shirou's eyes widened momentarily.

Emi propped herself on her Keyblade. "That—that thing's destroying the world. Sakura's inside the sphere."

Shirou nodded. "Okay. Okay. Fill me in as we go." He seemed suddenly disoriented, uncertain. He clutched his charm. She realized it wasn't around his neck anymore.

She nodded. Her magic seemed to slowly trickle back. "Let's get out friends back."

 **-Sora** knelt in darkness. Rope-like tendrils wrapped around his legs, small bits fraying and clinging to his clothes. Something sticky tugged his back.

"Well, Keybearer?" a voice asked. "What will you do now?"

He lifted his head slowly.

"Your apprentice is dead." The voice wavered, distorted, and altered between genders, ages, tones. "You couldn't save him. For all that you tried, you were powerless."

Sora's head fell slowly.

"How ironic. Look at the mighty Hero of All Worlds." The Puppet Master stepped from the shadows. "You have the power to stop an apocalypse, but not to protect those you love."

For a few moments they simply stared at each other.

The Puppet Master approached slowly. "What will you do now?" he repeated, voice changing, garbled and static-filled. "You no longer have an apprentice to train. Surely you can't intend to go back to the Land of Departure? Of course, that's assuming you can even get _off_ this world."

Sora slumped. The darkness kept him from tumbling completely, stretching taunt. "I saved him," he whispered, hoarse.

"Saved _who_? Me?"

And, very abruptly, he found himself faced with Archer, gray eyes cold and unreadable.

He choked on his answer.

"Congratulations. You saved a shell of a man. You saved someone who wished he didn't have to go on existing. You saved someone molded by a world you had no part in. You did not raise this man. You did not teach him. You didn't save him because you cared about _his_ safety, but because you couldn't bear the thought of failing your student. You pretend the Keyblader and the Counter Guardian are the same, even if in your heart you believe they're different, because you want to ease your guilt. Your grief. Because you would do anything not to feel the pain of losing someone so close to you."

"He's still Shirou."

" _You don't know him_." The words came out harsh, sharp, with an almost-hissing edge. "Can you tell me his life story? His fears? He had friends and loved ones here, on this world. He never knew you, or the Heartless, the Keyblade, your friends. The boy you raised is a phantom, doomed to fade. The real Shirou is someone you could never reach."

He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. His chest felt too tight, his throat too raw.

"How much easier it was, when you kept away. The minor ache meant little, if it meant it didn't feel like this. These precious people of yours could never hurt you, by dying or by words, and you could never hurt them." He paused, and his form flickered, resembling almost a shadowy version of Sora himself. "Wouldn't it be nice to go back to that? To hide away from them, and keep them at bay. You'd be protecting them from the same pain. If they don't care about you, then it won't hurt if something happens to you. Fighting Heartless is a dangerous business. And if anything ever happens to them, you can just go somewhere else. Bury yourself in your mission. Pretend nothing's wrong because you can't see it."

Sora's eyes burned. His fingernails bit into his palms.

His specter knelt in front of him. "Wouldn't that be a relief?"

Sora couldn't lift his head for several moments. He tried and failed to restrain a strangled sob. His shoulders shook. Tears fizzed against the darkness. He gritted his teeth, almost gagging, chest shuddering, and finally meet the shadow's gaze.

"No."

 **-Shirou** entered the battlefield with only a very basic grasp of what was going on. He wasn't sure where he'd been, or how long; he had vague memories, consciousness drifting in and out, static-filled images and possibilities occasionally touching his heart.

But Archer had called him out of that. The _real_ him. And then so had the world.

 _I see you, Keybearer. I will give you the chance to earn your place._

And then, just as suddenly, he'd been breathing and feeling and _almost physical_ , as Archer's form faded around him, energy thrumming through him, with Kiritsugu only giving him a brief rundown on what had happened.

It'd barely been a day since he'd died. He wasn't sure he had the ability to reconcile that yet, so he didn't try, instead focusing on the Dream Eaters. He moved quicker, hit harder, Vir sending one bug-like Dream Eater flying into a horde of others.

He slowed, allowing Emi to catch up. A few small ice crystals shot past, freezing several Dream Eaters. Shirou re-transformed Vir, firing several arrows and shattering the ice. The Dream Eaters exploded into darkness.

The worm reared higher and roared. Aqua tumbled, switched her Keyblade to Glider form, and soared around, shooting vainly at the Dream Eater. The broken orb, still clutched tightly by the creature, shifted and revealed someone inside.

 _Sakura._

He pursed his lips. "Emi! How's your magic?"

She shot him a momentarily confused look. "Oh! Um, fine for now. But I have to be care—look out!"

He whipped around and struck the Dream Eater. He'd forgotten, momentarily, that Vir was still in bow form, and winced as the weapon smacked the bug into the earth.

"That's—um." She wordlessly slid past him, making a quick, precise lunge, warding off another encroaching Dream Eater.

Shirou returned Vir to blade form and spun. Dream Eaters scattered. He swung down quickly, then jerked Vir into a sideways parry, flowing seamlessly into a lunge. Emi's weapon flashed in the corner of his eye.

She still shook. Her free arm hung, and her other looked like it wanted to drop, but she stood tall.

He hesitated, then began, "Emi—"

Familiar war cries echoed from the temple gate. Donald and Goofy plunged over the steps. Goofy lifted his shield, colliding with a Dream Eater, while Donald landed on his shoulders and sent small blasts of fire. Illya stood at the top of the steps, sending strange birds to attack Dream Eaters overhead.

"Collision Magnet!" A line of purple energy flashed from behind her, caught a Dream Eater, and tossed it skyward.

Melody sailed over the stairs and into the fray, Keyblade blazing. She bowled into a Dream Eater and disappeared momentarily. Rai followed with more caution, trying to free her.

For several moments Shirou just stared.

Darkness spiraled by his head. Emi cleared her throat.

He shook his head and slashed, taking a step, then slipped into a stab and upward cut.

Rai hit a Dream Eater away from Melody. The other apprentice stood, cuts and bruises lining her cheeks. Her eyes found him and widened. She broke into a broad grin. "Holy _shit_! Shirou? You're not dead?" She scrambled towards him.

Rai saw him, did a double-take, and followed.

Emi stammered, "W-why did you think he was dead?"

Shirou shifted, uncertain how to respond.

Melody's grin dropped slightly when he didn't respond.

Emi pressed, "Shirou?"

He caught her eye, glanced aside, and activated his magic.

Their exhaustion hit him first. They'd been fighting a while now, magic nearly depleted. Melody's heart flared with anger and grief and relief and confusion. Emi's seemed mostly tired, but resolved. Rai's was filled with skepticism and buried turmoil.

He wasn't sure what his own heart sent across the link, but their faces seemed to change in a strange sort of understanding.

"I need you to guard me while I connect with Sakura."

Melody snorted and looked away. "Right."

Rai wordlessly set up a mine square.

Emi turned to stand at his back.

Shirou took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached, his magic trailing the battlefield and up the strange Dream Eater, touching a heart still tainted with darkness.

 _Sakura. Can you hear me?_

- **The** word settled into the air, not as a triumphant declaration, full of defiance or certainty, but whispered with an edge of grief, shaky and raw and sounding more like someone who stood on the edge of defeat.

His specter blinked, as if expecting something more, then asked, "What?"

Sora still cried. His face scrunched, but he repeated, "No." He glanced down momentarily. "I wouldn't give it up. Not for anything."

"You led him to die."

Sora jerked to face the shadow again. For a moment he though the eyes flared gold. "There was a boy who once said that his friends were his power."

"Some Keyblader you are." The shadows words came out sounding a little more desperate, as if they were trying to drown Sora's own. "A hypocritical porcelain doll, kept away from everyone so you don't crack."

Sora took a deep breath. His chest still hurt, but his tears dried.

 _He saw himself training Shirou, correcting his stance while the boy vainly attempted to fight him._

 _He saw himself passing an ice cream bar to his apprentice while they relaxed in Twilight Town._

 _He saw himself stumped over a problem, until his son barreled in with an unexpected solution—_ and realized that, perhaps, this was the same.

"That hasn't changed."

His magic activated. The darkness chaining him seemed to lift. His shadow vanished, the landscape fading into something light, vague images flickering past. A heart, powerful, beating slowly, connected, finally, to his.

 **-** _ **You**_ _aren't Archer._

She almost felt betrayed. He'd made her think she'd be alright—that he'd help, that she could _fight_ —

 _No,_ she reminded herself. They'd always known that he'd take her out if necessary.

Shirou's sheepish agreement flooded across the strange link. But he also pushed across warmth, encouragement. _Fight back, fight back._

She recoiled.

The warmth pulled away slightly, then renewed, gentle, encouraging.

She flared with helpless bitterness. _Perhaps it'd be better to let the world burn._

She sensed the _No, no,_ from the boy, and resentment stirred. _Archer understood. He didn't judge me._

 _Maybe he was a friend. Maybe I let him down._

Shirou seemed to pull away, a contemplating, and then he returned, gently, with a sense of empathy.

 _You've never had a choice. It's alright. This is your choice now._

She wasn't sure if he was speaking or if it was simply his emotions. She expected fear beneath. She expected him to try and force her to help.

 _You can choose. Let me know, so I can also choose. This is yours._

And she thought she remembered a boy, sitting outside her room in the temple, telling her he was sorry.

 _I didn't understand before. I do now. What it's like to be helpless. I am only one strengthened by many. But you're strong on your own. None of us realized that before. Maybe not even you._

Now she was almost convinced he really _was_ speaking, but how was that possible, how was any of this _possible_ —

And the words ceased, and he instead waited with quiet expectation, not pressuring, not asking, not judging. Just waiting.

She considered. She _wanted_ to know what she could do. She wanted to escape her old life. But did she really want to go down in the darkness of the world?

 _I want to have my own life._

She reached back.

 **-"I have** her," Shirou breathed. "She'll help us."

"How?" Rai muttered.

Sakura gave an answer almost instantly: _I'll stall the beast._

The worm came to a jerky, surprised halt. It struggled, jaws gnashing.

"What in the world?"

"She's the heart," Emi breathed. "That's it. She's the one the darkness is feeding through."

Rai asked, "So she can keep it still?"

"Not forever," Shirou murmured. He strengthened the link. "Get her out of there."

He sensed more than saw one of them move—Melody, he thought—and cycled his magic to her. _Use it. Whatever strength I have, use it._

The worm snarled, bent lower. The strange wings that hovered near its back dipped with it.

 _It hurts. I can't, I can't, I can't—_

 _You can. We can._ His magic stretched towards Emi and Rai.

 _We can,_ they seemed to repeat.

Sakura didn't respond. Instead the worm stilled entirely, and silently she screamed, _Now, now, now!_

And Shirou ordered, _Hold it steady!_

 **-Sora** stretched out a hand. "Alaya?"

The space seemed to shift. _Keybearer._

He wasn't sure how to proceed next, and so simply remained quiet and waited for her to continue.

 _You lot never cease to surprise me._

He tilted his head.

 _Long ago, my heart split into two distinct personalities. We were nearly overrun by darkness. It was the only way we could cope, pushing the darkness away, deep inside us, with measures put into place to prevent fading away. We were newly-aware and so uncertain of the universe, but we realized once thing: we only became conscious as self-defense. The Keybearers surprised us then because they had promised light, and left us to darkness._

 _But then your apprentice does something unusual. He connects many hearts—across my world, no less—in a way that we were never able. He beats back the darkness with light. He uses my own methods but does it in a way that doesn't bend to the darkness._

When she trailed away, Sora considered his words, then murmured, "That surprise was the last straw, wasn't it? It unbalanced you, and you couldn't keep the darkness in check anymore."

 _Was I wrong, Keybearer? Have our methods simply been leading us further into darkness?_

"Hey, I'm not even half a century old yet, remember?" He forced a smile. "I don't know. I think you were afraid. You'd been hurt. I understand."

 _I know._

A long pause stretched. "Alaya," Sora continued, "is that Dream Eater connected to your darkness?"

 _Yes. There are many, across many memories._

"So, if we were to Purge the darkness from here, would it go away?"

 _There is no point, Keybearer._

"Why not? Shirou surprised you by uniting human hearts." His voice broke. "Wouldn't it be that much more powerful, backed by the heart of a world?"

She didn't answer, but he sensed her consider the option. Then, slowly, the link strengthened.

All at once a floodgate opened. Power poured across the connection, filling Sora's chest until his body at once felt too large and too small, his mind filled with voices, images, possibilities he'd never dreamed of or could understand. He washed away, replaced by uncountable feelings and thoughts and experiences, and for a few moments he was that terrified child again, desperate to shut out the world around him.

 _Not this time._

The Kingdom Key appeared. He lowered the blade and braced it with both hands. Light flared. His voice echoed. _"Purge."_

A halo exploded from his Keyblade's tip, expanding outward. Another followed, and again, and again, the pool of light beneath his weapon growing bigger with every flash. Something deep inside him screamed, but energy poured unceasing in a cycle, from the world to him and back.

His movements seemed distant, not his own, his arm lifting, the Keyblade dragging behind it a trail of light. Darkness roared from the path, spiraling around in a wicked wind. His arm burned. His chest tightened. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

Alaya's heart pressed against his. Light ran like veins beneath his skin. He gripped the Kingdom Key with both hands and jerked.

His line flew high. The darkness breached the ground. Light traveled back along the path, seeping slowly through the darkness, changing it.

He lowered the Kingdom Key. The light faded, taking the darkness with it, small sparks flickering where magic had once been.

The connection seeped away. Abruptly he felt empty and cold and weak, and plummeted into the abyss below.

 **-Light** appeared from cracks along the orb. They stretched onto the worm, racing across its head, its body. The mist swirling around the world stopped, then fell, scattered into stardust.

Pain flared back along the link. Shirou gasped, doubling over and clutching his chest. "Someone get her out of there!"

Fear and a strange sort of resignation passed along the link. Light pulsed from the orb's center.

A shape emerged from the few remaining shadows. Caster dug a jagged dagger into the orb's center.

The sphere cracked. The connection broke abruptly, leaving Shirou gasping. "Sakura!"

The girl tumbled free. Saber leapt, catching her, and gave the other Servant a piercing look.

The woman flicked her dagger and didn't respond.

A strange burden seemed to lift. Sakura might not be okay for a while, but she'd make it. She'd learn. She'd make her own choices. And maybe it didn't really matter whether she was the memory or the real thing.

The Dream Eaters cracked, then shriveled, dissolving into dust. Plants and stones returned. Trees regrew. The temple walls reformed. Bazett started when grass reappeared beneath her feet. Kiritsugu gingerly touched a reformed tree.

The worm exploded into stardust. A figure hovered there a moment, haloed in light, then tumbled.

Shirou stared for a heartbeat. He mouthed, "Sora."

And then he charged across the sparkling grass, catching his mentor and father faster than he thought possible, holding him upright, shaking and relieved and unsure of what to say or do.

 **-Sora's** blurry gaze stared at star-studded grass and an armored shoulder. He groaned, trying to push himself up and failing at first.

"It's okay," some distant voice murmured. "You're hurt. Don't try to stand yet."

His vision didn't focus enough at first for details, but he could still make out red hair and amber eyes. Several hearts pulsed nearby—Riku, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Kiritsugu, Saber—but one he hadn't expected to notice flared closest. "Shirou?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me."

He pushed away slightly, gaping, chest tight, words lost, and he gripped the boy's shoulders, scanned him, wishing his vision would just _focus_. "You're here. I'm not—I'm not dreaming this, right? I thought—you were—" And between his shaking legs and his near-crying he almost fell, only caught by several apprentices.

He shook. He smiled and laughed, the sound shaky and nervous, and then flicked his gaze to his apprentice.

Shirou wasn't looking at him. Instead he stared at his hand, gold dust trailing from his fingertips, the world slowly becoming visible behind him. Saber and Lancer looked their way, bodies similarly cloaked.

"You're not coming back, are you?"

Shirou gave him a sad smile and shook his head.

Sora knew he was crying, and his chest still hurt, but he forced a smile. "I'm proud of you. You know that, right?"

Now Shirou almost looked like he would cry. He smiled, nodded.

Melody threw herself at her friend, head buried in his side. Emi and Rai folded themselves around them.

Shirou gave them sheepish looks. The dust spiraled around his body.

Sora dipped his head.

Shirou smiled. He faded, a few strands of dust trailing skyward, carried on an invisible wind.

* * *

 _And that's it for the climax. Just one final chapter to tie things together._

… _Geez, that's strange to say. Review responses:_

 **reality deviant:** _I do so hope Archer won't fall here. Having such a morally grey and troublesome character die, rather then continue to bother the idealists of KH with its existence, particularly once they will get the chance to rest and think things through, seems like a cheap cop-out somehow..._ – Unfortunately, being so close to the end means there was actually little still to be done with that. I touched on it a little bit with Sora, and those thoughts might still have lingering effects, but…

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Aaaaaaaahhhhh! Oh my lord I was not expecting THIS to be how Dream!Shirou returns! Also the fight that led up to the summoning was just nerve wracking for some reason. Archer realising that in one world a version of him had achieved the dream of a hero was pretty humbling too!_ – I'm glad you enjoyed it! I wanted it to be kind of intense, so glad that ended up shining through.

 **ultima-owner:** _The stakes are quite high and they are willing to fight such odds._ – Indeed.

 **OrionGold:** _So Archer had Kiritsugu to use him as catalyst to summon Keyblade-Wielding Shirou. That is awesome._ – Thanks! _Also, wouldn't be cool if, in the end of this story, Damocles Sora is visited by Canon Sora? I just though it would be nice Canon Sora gives Damocle Sora some pep-talk to remind him who he once was following with the latter to tell the former some knowledge on the Puppet King so that he won't go what he went through._ – While that didn't happen _literally,_ it kind of happened metaphorically? It's an interesting idea, in any case.

 **DPSS:** _Well, unless Shirou gets some improved stats from being a Servant, I don't see how trading Archer for him will help._ – While he technically _did_ get improved stats, the bigger thing here was his special magic: he could touch Sakura's heart directly.

 **Initiumi:** _You clever, clever gent. I knew you had something grand planned for the finale, but this? This goes beyond anything I could have imagined-this is honest-to-god epic. And I love every second of it….I look forward to seeing our little broken boy Shirou in all of his heroic servant glory. And I look forward to what I assume is going to be a bitter sweet conclusion to an epic tale._ – Bittersweet, indeed. We have a little more to go, but I hope what's here met expectations!

 **conan . lagace:** _Servant keyblader Shirou. Huh cool_ – Thanks!

 **Yolea Irk's:** _...Wow. I knew True Assassin was summoned through Fake Assassin in Heaven's Feel but I have no idea you can apply it in Dream!Shirou. I though since their each Origin is different there is no way Archer can bring him back. I'm not saying it will be impossible but very difficult. Guess I was wrong this time._ – The idea was based on them being…sort of the same person? Since they are both technically "Shirou's," Archer could still be used as a catalyst. (Also, Vir may or may not have helped with that.)

 **Yagami Kuzuki:** _can shirou do the same good bye of the way EMIYA did with Rin in Fate stay the night UBW_ – He kind of does!

 _Only one chapter left to go. If you have any thoughts or comments, let me know in a review!_


	95. The Ever-Distant Sky

_Here's chapter ninety – five, a day early! I'm not going to have access to my computer over the weekend, so enjoy the finale!_

 _Thank you reality deviant, Yolea Irk's, OrionGold, DPSS, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Parks98, ultima-owner, Aburg76, and HellPwnage1337 for reviewing last chapter!_

 **Chapter Ninety – Five: The Ever-Distant Sky**

Lea observed the small group of mages with increasing skepticism—less because of the mages themselves, and more because of the apprentices trying to teach them.

"This," Melody said, lifting her Keyblade, "allows us to use magic. _Some of you_ might be learning how to use it."

The majority of the young mages still didn't look entirely convinced. "We can already use magecraft," one pointed out.

Another suggested, "It _could_ be useful."

Melody protested, "It's not just _useful_. It helps protect the multiverse!"

The majority of the mages still looked skeptical.

Melody whipped towards Rai. "Come on, tell them!"

"Oh, no. You're doing just fine on your own." He smirked, shoulders shaking with contained laughter.

Lea sighed. "Alright, alright." He clapped a hand on Melody's shoulder. "We're not forcing them into anything, okay? We're just here to scope things out and see if anyone's interested. Remember?"

She huffed and looked away.

Lea massaged his temples. The apprentices had returned from 'Gaia' several weeks ago, downcast and silent—which had, admittedly, unnerved him. Aqua had filled him in as best she could, and he'd given them space. Time to grieve.

He couldn't say he was surprised when Aqua had suggested _he_ go to Gaia and see how the world was fairing—he'd had no prior contact with the world, so he was the least likely to cause problems. While he'd investigated, he certainly hadn't expected the _warm_ welcome he'd been given by an old mage. After some explanations and planning, he'd returned to Aqua with plenty of information and a request to investigate a little further. While Aqua had suggested caution, she'd eventually agreed.

Melody and Rai had insisted on accompanying him this time, which had eventually led to Melody's attempt to "recruit" several young mages.

Lea tried to steer her away. "Come on. We're looking for Rin, remember? She's supposed to meet us here."

Melody huffed and crossed her arms.

Two of the young mages had already turned away, chatting and heading to class. Another rested against the wall, eyes listless. One still looked contemplative, and asked, "You said you knew someone from this world who used a 'Keyblade.'" He still looked uncertain, as if trying to piece together a puzzle he didn't have all the parts to.

"That's right."

"Why?"

Now Melody hesitated, and Rai stiffened, and he guessed neither of his apprentices wanted to admit it was an accident.

Lea said, "It was his way of trying to help."

The mage seemed to consider this.

"Listen, we're not actually here to 'recruit' or 'convince' anyone. Not even sure how welcome we are yet." _The world might still hate us, for all we know._ "We're just here to talk to some people and learn. If you want to learn from _us_ , fine. We'll be around. But no pressure, alright?" He turned and headed down the hall.

After a few moments Melody and Rai followed.

Rin waited for them in an open courtyard, sitting stiffly on a bench. She turned towards them and gave a tired smile. "I'm glad you came." She stood and extended a hand.

Lea accepted the handshake. "So, you're showing us around?"

She nodded. "It's been a long time since I've been here, but we'll see if I still have any pull in the Clock Tower."

 **-Emi** took a deep breath.

"Nervous?" Kairi asked.

"M-maybe a little."

She smiled reassuringly. "Me, too."

Captain Amelia stood a short distance away, speaking with Roxas and Leon, her first mate waiting silently behind her.

"So," a voice said, "it's almost time for you to head out."

Aqua approached, smiling.

Kairi nodded. "Our first trial run for the trade routes."

 _And I'm leading it._ She clenched her shaking hands. _Well, me and Roxas._ He had the map of their best path under his arm; they'd been going back and forth with representatives over the last several weeks, and finally came to something they thought might work. It'd be simple this time: just from Radiant Garden to Amelia's world and back. If that went well, they'd add another world into the route, and another, and then start implementing ways to trade without relying on Radiant Garden—

Emi took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

Aqua looked past them and blinked. "Wait a minute. _Roxas_?"

Emi flinched and exchanged glances with Kairi.

Kairi rubbed her neck. "I guess we forgot to tell you."

Roxas whipped around, looking abruptly nervous.

Aqua pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright. Start from the beginning."

 **-Sora** rested on the Play Island's beach.

Riku sat a short distance away, staring across the waves. "So," he asked, "you think she'll show up soon?"

"Don't know. Wasn't she waiting for Roxas and Emi to get back from their trade route trial first?"

Riku made an acknowledging murmur. "It'll be nice, actually having the three of us together again. For a little while."

"Yeah." Sora took a deep, steadying breath, and smiled a little. "Kairi will have a few days here with us, anyways."

Riku's expression didn't shift, but he shifted slightly, eyes still focused on the glistening water. "So you really plan to stay, huh?"

Sora didn't answer immediately. He picked up a shell, turning it between his fingers. "Aqua suggested I could teach young Keybladers at the Land of Departure. Just as a kind of helper."

Heavy silence stretched between them. "But not yet," Riku finished.

Sora shook his head. "I just want some time. Maybe do some stuff around Destiny Islands. Reconnect with the people we knew as kids." He paused, catching sight of something in the sky. "And then we'll see." Something in his chest twisted, but he swallowed and, for the moment, paid it no mind.

Riku followed his eyes. "I was thinking about exploring again," he admitted. "We've been so busy, first protecting the worlds, and then training apprentices, that none of us have really had time. But now, I think I'd like to see what else is out there. Actually _learn_ about the places we visit. I thought maybe I could make some detailed records of them. Maybe find a way to incorporate protection from the Heartless a little better, or recruit new Keybladers."

"Sounds like a great idea."

"You could come." He sounded defeated, though, like he knew Sora's answer before he even gave it.

The shape—now clearly a Gummi ship—neared the ground on the main island.

Sora shook his head. "You'll know where to find me, though."

The Gummi ship landed.

"Besides, we still have today."

"Right." Riku stood. "Come on. We'd better get over there."

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up in a bit."

Riku flashed him an understanding look, then turned to the boats.

Sora remained where he was for several moments, shell still twisting in his hand. He stood only after Riku had sailed some distance towards the main island, walking along the beach and around the treehouse, tromping through undergrowth.

The island was no longer theirs. The Secret Place had long become the hideout of a new generation of children, the treehouses the landscapes of new make-believe wars. But there were some places, deep within the untamed parts of the island, that children refused to visit, under normal circumstances. Those that did came back with legends of a "special sword" that no one could remove or that belonged to some ghostly protector of the island. Of course, their peers never believed them, and soon the allure faded away.

He pushed aside some ferns. A small area had been cleared away. Vir stood, stuck deep into the dirt, not quite as dull as it had been two months ago. A collection of shells sat around the Keyblade. Sora added the newest to the pile, and knelt there several moments, head bowed.

The sun passed over the sky, and he knew he ought to head back. Riku and Kairi were waiting. He had a lot to catch up on. His throat seemed to close. He took a deep breath. The tension in his chest didn't ease. He touched Shirou's Keyblade. "I know." He forced a ragged smile.

He stood slowly. He didn't have to jump back into action just yet. He had time. He could work through things. He'd manage. And he'd make the most of the time he had.

Behind him, Vir glinted in the sunlight, set ablaze by invisible fire. For a moment, he thought he'd seen his son's specter in the flames. He blinked, and the image faded.

He turned slowly after several moments. "I'll be back," he promised. Right now, he had some catching up to do.

* * *

 _At seventeen, Sora believed he'd seen most of what the worlds had to offer. He'd battled Heartless, earned the trust of the world's hearts, stopped a second Keyblade War, and become a Keyblade Master._

 _At twenty – seven, he accidentally apprenticed a young boy, and realized how wrong he'd been._

* * *

 _This is it. We've reached the end of_ Damocles. _And what a ride it's been. There've been both mistakes and successes along the way, a lot of fatigue and burnout on my end, but we made it here. Thank you to everyone who read, favorited, and followed this story along the way! Also a very big thank you to: epikphael, animesguardianangel, ultima-owner, Gold2King, DPSS, Great fan-M, michelous, Mioismoe, Shirosaki Kizuro, Gashadokuro Amanojaku, Saint of vice koncor, Kamen Rider Ebon, idea . getthe, Kiri Kaitou Clover, KadoyaOkami, Aburg76, phuxeds, SwordofallCreation, Parks98, Mythfan, brave kid, Sceonn, Darkjaden, chaosoulg, ZidanReign, uknounx, swiftrabbit, reality deviant, Initiumi, Aladdinina Magi, Bigreader in The Omniverse, Jebest4781, Zephyroths, Catasros, OrionGold, Selias, Masterx01, Raging Berserker, The Rank 5 Ninja, RedRat8, WorldofChaos21x, Thespurgin, UNKNOWNGPX, ShineX, Atlanta's Husban, A.K.J.19, Joachim Armster, row row fight the powa, bowser3000000, Server lock, nim istar, shadowace2400, Dullahan0, Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros, KHbelievers20, Question, Andaeus, ranchboy1, Neo-Devil, EaterofWorlds20, SoraFan, Paxloria, 21klaresh, kewllewk, OoOXylionOoO, ArtsofChaos10, SonicFan12, MagicArts10, Well-Intentioned Anti-Villain, Galer, uhhh, Deathclaw, Artsofdesire1, BukkakeNoJutsu, Cosmos0Atlas1, TalesofDark0, The Unknown GPX, Actso9, t12road, Deathclaw 2015, L33t Horo, BlazeStryker, BakonHawk, Atlas2000, 21atlasof90, conan . lagace, InfernalFox, mecha21, Amatsumi, 24lightsofsaber, Rankin de Merthyr, InfinityMask, Yolea Irk's, 21freeedba, 20fredds1, Xcrouse39, Tenservantgs39, archerforlife2, LilMate, NeoDeus, 60yulas, yesmanArcher1, Mangahero18, anton . evan . 31, Yagami Kuzuki, HellPwnage1337, and several guests for reviewing over the course of the story!_

… _Now hopefully I didn't miss anyone. Review responses for last chapter:_

 **reality deviant:** _While it was a rather good chapter, i was hopinf for more of Archer. And i can't help but think that this ended up with KH brightening Nasuworld more then the oppisite, maybe a bit more then it should, Sora didn't become as grey as i was hoping for him to be, thoough there still a chapter to see._ – Well, he's…still not super gray. _And if this is the end of Archer, I hope he will be remembered. By both KH crew AND natives of this world._ – I'd like to believe that the KH crew, at least, remember him. _Wonder if there is a chance for him to become a proper Heroic Spirit that is not a counter guardian after this..._ – I think he'd probably still be a Counter Guardian, to be honest. That said, there's always the possibility Alaya would decide to finally let him go after a certain version got through to her…

 **Yolea Irk's:** _Now the world is free from darkness, is Shirou the Keyblader will go to the Throne of Heroes? It will be interesting to see him summoned by Rin in alter universe in Fifth Holy Grail. Maybe you can make imthis asan omake or one shot chapter._ – I _very nearly_ included Rin summoning Shirou in this chapter. That said, yes, Shirou officially made his way to the Throne of Heroes! He's not exactly a _well-known_ hero, but…still.

 **OrionGold:** _Wait a minute, what about the situation with Kotomine and Gilgamesh?_ – Gilgamesh was actually finished several chapters ago. (Remember that shadow that found him? That was actually Sakura…basically absorbing him.) Kotomine, on the other hand, was part of a scrapped arc for Shirou, where the Keyblader would be forced to face his past and personal demons through Kotomine. It's something I regret, especially since if I'd planned a little better beforehand, it _could've_ been included.

 **DPSS:** _Well, so much for a happy ending._ – It's a very bittersweet ending, to be sure.

 **Kiri Kaitou Clover:** _Sora and Alaya finally coming to an understanding and Dream!Shirou's goodbye to Sora right after the successful rescue of Sakura and the Purge left me teary eyed._ – They were also rather emotional scenes to write.

 **Parks98:** _Wow great climax to the holy grail war...though I do wonder does this mean Alyala will stop sending counter guardians to kill ten of thousands of people across time and space...nahhh. Still this was pretty great_ \- …Sort of? Keybladers can now visit and help (and, as Riku stated, they're working on things to make the system a little more efficient—meaning Keybladers stationed there, full-time). That said, Alaya doesn't _entirely_ trust them yet, so her Counter Guardians are still employed.

 **ultima-owner:** _I'm happy he saved them but I'm sad that he's gone. It's great when something makes you feel conflicting emotions like this did._ – Glad it managed to pull it off!

 **Aburg76:** _wow that last part right in the feels_ – Yeah…

 **HellPwnage1337:** _Sora and Shirou... now where have I heard that before?_ \- …I honestly don't know?

 _Thank you all for your praise, your comments, and your criticisms—yes, even for chapter four._

 _As for the future? I actually do have one long story planned—probably one of my last on here. That said, I want to learn from some of Damocle's mistakes, and have real life stuff to take care of. The story will be done slightly differently, and in a different fandom, but hopefully I can learn from this experience and make something really good, when the time comes._

 _But for Damocles, I'll ask one final time: review?_


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